


Mass Dragon Effect Codex

by raw666



Series: Mass Dragon Effect [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins, Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Codex Entries, Complete, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Crossover, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Science Fiction, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-11
Updated: 2018-05-31
Packaged: 2019-05-05 12:49:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 44,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14618949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raw666/pseuds/raw666
Summary: After humanities encounter with dilithium crystals and later the darkspawn, technology began to change for the Mass Effect Universe drastically. From human space exploration to an alliance that rivals the Council. The shift of power will determine if the Reapers will be defeated, or the cycle will repeat itself. Let's find out.Originally a Fanfiction.net story.





	1. Table of Contents

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Mass Dragon Effect Codex](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/380657) by RAW666. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special note about these codexs for the Mass Dragon Effect story is that they were written for two reasons. Firstly, they only exist in this story so they cannot be found in the two wikis listed below with a few exceptions found in the timeline. The second reason is that the original had little detail or was completely different from the wikis below, so they were written in like Cerberus Forces and kinetic barriers.
> 
> Codexs websites:
> 
> wiki/Mass_Effect_Wiki and wiki/Dragon_Age_Wiki
> 
> Also note they will not match how they are in the games, () will tell you where the old ones would go in that case.

  1. Timeline
  2. Cerberus and Other Organizations (Anything Related to Cerberus and Other Non-Governmental Organizations)
  3. Darkspawn (Anything Darkspawn Related)
  4. Governments and Galactic Polices (Citadel Council, Confederation Alliance of Worlds and Human System Alliance)
  5. Planets and Locations
  6. Reapers (Collectors)
  7. Sentient Species (Council and Non-Council Species sentient related)
  8. Ship and Vehicles
  9. Technology
  10. Weapons and Equipment
  11. Spoilers (Parts to be moved as the story progress, read at your own risk)




	2. Human Space Timeline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Reader: Albert

1961 CE

April 12th: Yuri Gagarin aboard the Vostok 1 becomes the first human to travel into space. Humanity becomes a spacefaring race.

1969 CE

July 20th: Apollo 11 lands on Luna. Neil Armstrong becomes the first human to walk on Luna, and the first human to walk on an astronomical object other than Earth/Terra.

1971 CE

April 19th: Salyut 1 is the first space station put into orbit, allowing humans to live outside of Earth

1998 CE

The International Space Station is put into Earth’s orbit, being the first international spacecraft to be made by the humans as a unified effort.

2036 CE

March 12th: Jessamine O’Neal is the first human to step on Mars.

2069 CE

July 20th: Armstrong Outpost at Shackleton Crater is considered formally as the first human settlement on Luna, on the 100th anniversary of the first lunar landing.

2070 CE

Billionaire Victor Manswell, frustrated with the pace of official human space exploration, begins funding his own private spaceflight expedition.

2075 CE

The Manswell Expedition successfully launches from Earth en route to the Alpha Centauri system with 300 colonists aboard in cryogenic stasis. Communications with the vessel are lost soon after launch.

2076 CE

On Earth/Terra, dimensional rifts began to appear around the European content h, especially around Vatican Rome. This sparks a resurgence of religion as well as scientific curiosity as many began to flock to study or pray at the phenomenon. It also sparked fear among the various governments around the world as they increase funding for their space and military programs.

The events also push the European nations to solidify into one government known as the Neo-European Union. Once the government was formed, they sent their soldiers to secure the rifts found around the content.

2077 CE: Humanity Discovers Dilithium Crystals

Scientists used filters around the dimensional rifts began to collect dust for research, along with several small-automated probes to collect 100-10000kg of earth samples. The geologists and radiologists were able to determine the minerals were not from Earth.

During their collections, scientists also discovered crystals that could absorb any different forms of energy to produce pure, clean energy with a transfer rate of 80-90% efficiency as opposed to the 40-70% efficiency most generators produce. In addition, the newly dubbed dilithium crystals grew by the amount of energy collected over a period of time. Several world powers begin more intense research on dilithium crystals for continued use. They also enacted safety procedures as exposure to any rock larger than 10 micrograms could kill a person.

Several radical religious groups and a few institutions such, as the Catholic Church tried to outlaw the collecting of dilithium crystals, which they called lyrium ‘mystic rocks.’ Most governments and companies ignore them. Radicals attempt to attack several labs and companies researching the crystal but are capture and imprison while scientists moved their research into space.

2080 CE

On a deep space station, a scientist named Sarha Hornbeck found a way to exponentially increase the growth of dilithium crystals. She had determined that bombarding the crystals with large amounts of gamma radiation while allowing solar winds to pass through the crystal would increase the growth rate from a large shard to the size of 2m bush within days provided she kept the crystals from discharging its energy. Twenty space stations and several spots on the light side of the moon are laid out to grow dilithium crystals.

2082 CE

On Earth, many children begin to show signs of developing powers that resembled magic from fairy tales, and other abilities that seemed to defy the laws of physics. These children, called mages soon found themselves either treated like shamans or experienced their own new witch-hunt against them. In response, several different governments step in to locate and protect these magical children, more out of protecting future military assets rather than out of a moral imperative.

It was later determined through a scientific study that one out of twenty children developed the gene due to their parent’s prolonged exposure to dilithium crystals. That was roughly sixty percent of the Earth’s population and every colonist leaving Earth. The mage gene was identified and studied to track down future mage children.

2083 CE: Humanity Discovers the Fade

The European Space Agency’s Lowell City in Eos Chasma becomes the first permanent human settlement on Mars.

The first Dilithium Fusion Reactors were made using crushed dilithium crystals that siphoned off energy in its purest form. The reactors were first put onto spaceships transporting colonists to the Martian colonies to be able to produce artificial gravity in parts of the ship.

Around Earth, dimensional creatures called demons begin to appear around mages or sites with dilithium crystals. These creatures also tried to possess weak-willed mages and/or drain the energy from the crystals to increase their power. Energy fields were used to capture demons or keep these creatures from appearing. The demons captured revealed they came from a world where a group consciousness of the galaxy existed. It was where people dream, dream up new ideas or retrieve old ones. This creates a decline in several religions and marks the discovery of the dream world called the Fade.

Many wealthy governments began paying researchers to help make mages immune to demonic influence.

2085 CE

The United States of America, Canada and Mexico came together to form the United North America States for the mutual protection and economic union of the three governments, especially since the dimensional rifts continued to appear around Europe. A terrorist organization known as Freedoms First was against such a union and tried to break it apart through terror. They had little support due to fear of the dimensional rifts and most were caught within a few years. They lost all support when they tried to destroy the Statue of Liberty and failed to get close.

2088 CE

Geneticist/Cyberneticist Leo Cameral was able to design cybernetic implants that helped mages become immune to demons but with some drastic side effects. Mages given the implants had their elemental and spiritual powers enhanced; making them perfect frontline troops. However, it also meant they could not perform creation and entropy powers in return. Dr. Cameral begins work on developing an implant that would do the reverse while several mages were given the current implants, creating the first psychic knights.

2090 CE

Two years later, Dr. Leo Cameral released a new implant for mages that would enhance their creation and entropy powers. The implant also attracted demons but also prevented possession by the demons, and the mages could gain the demon’s powers for brief intervals. However, taking on the demon’s powers left the mages with an emotional price of being the opposite of the demon’s ‘sin’ These mages were called magicians, and they fit a support role and could act as a final stand in any battle by going berserk with their demon’s power. Demons seem to prefer this arrangement as they find out what it means to be mortal without fear of dying after they became abominations when they posed humans.

2097 CE

The Eldfell-Ashland Energy Corporation demonstrates helium-3 fuel extraction from the atmosphere of Saturn. The fuel would be used to fuel ships’ torches/thruster engines while dilithium crystals would be used to power the ship’s systems.

2103 CE

Construction of Gagarin Station (Jump Zero) begins beyond the orbit of Pluto. It would be used as a testbed for new technologies, including new weapons like particle plasma cannons, plasma torpedoes, and plasma lasers. Scientists and engineers also began construction of the first antimatter reactor on the station.

2104 CE

As time passes and fear of the dimensional rifts began to wane, several governments that had troops surrounding these rifts begin to feel public pressure to pull personnel away from the rifts. These groups were ignored at first, but the governments soon capitulate to groups demands as the public begins to lose its fear of the dimensional rifts.

2107 CE

The first antimatter reactor was developed, providing energy several times greater than that available from currently used dilithium crystals. However, because of the danger that if the reactor goes critical, it would severally damage a planet’s atmosphere, along with the high price tag for the reactor, humanity decided they would only be put on large spaceships (heavy cruisers and up) or on large, deep space stations.

2114 CE

Studies determine that brief exposure to anti-matter reactors increased the chance for children to become mages by 5% and increase sterility in adults by 30% due to prolonged exposure. Geneticists are hired to correct the problem while personnel is routinely tested every three months. If they are in danger of becoming sterile, they are moved to a different ship.

2117 CE

Trace amounts of element zero are discovered on Mars.

2118 CE: Humanity Discovers Mass Effect Physics

Humanity discovers a small cache of advanced Prothean technology hidden deep beneath the surface of Mars in the south polar region of Promethei Planum. Building on the remnants of this long extinct race, humans quickly explore the science of mass effect fields, leading to the development of faster than light travel and beginning a detailed exploration of the Sol system. They also develop kinetic barrier/shields, modern kinetic weapons, disruptor torpedoes, and ship-wide artificial gravity and inertia dampers.

When combining faster than light (FTL) drive with dilithium or anti-matter reactor energy outputs, ships can travel up to 30 light years within one day (faster than any known drive). However, it also means the drive cores need to discharge at higher rates due to the amount of energy coursing through them. Humanity begins construction of several heavy cruiser classes for deep space exploration and defense.

2119 CE

Following information translated from a data cache on Mars, humans discover that Charon, Pluto’s moon, is a mass relay encased in ice. Once activated, Jon Grissom leads the first team of explorers through the relay, which instantaneously transports them to another relay in Arcturus, 36 light-years away. The explorers discover that the mass relays are part of a vast network, making travel across the galaxy possible.

The Human Systems Alliance Charter is signed by the eighteen largest nations on Earth. The Alliance soon becomes the military and exploration force for humanity.

2120 CE

The Human System Alliance begins the first surveys for colonization prospects outside the Sol System. These surveys discover M-class planets that would be named Demeter, Eden Prime, and Terra Nova.

2121 CE

To defend its expanding territory, humanity begins constructing a massive military fleet and space station at Arcturus, the nexus of several key mass relays, even though they have yet to encounter another intelligent spacefaring race.

An accident at Singapore International Spaceport exposes hundreds of humans to dust-form element zero. Roughly, 30% of the children born in Singapore suffer from cancerous growths after element zero exposure.

2122 CE

The Delta Pavonis Foundation, a major consortium based on Earth, begins settlement of humanity’s first extra-solar colony world, Demeter. Within the year, additional colonies are founded on Eden Prime and Terra Nova. They also began building basses on barren planets for the purposed of growing dilithium crystals.

2124 CE

There is a second publicized accident involving the exposure of humans to element zero on the planet Demeter.

2125 CE

The Human Systems Alliance occupies completed portions of Arcturus Station, intended to become the Alliance’s headquarters.

Using knowledge of element zero and particle energy, the Earth governments found a way to depolarize the dimensional rifts. An effort is made to close more of the rifts, but the rifts around Italy could not be closed. Panic manifest the populace, thinking it was the sign of an alien invasion that someone or something was keeping the portal open rather than that it was a natural phenomenon. A large number of civilians began to leave for its new space colonies, especially those in Europe and those bordering the European countries.

2126 CE

Arcturus Station is formally inaugurated.

A small number of children exposed to element zero exhibit minor telekinetic abilities not tied to mages manipulation of the energy around a person, but rather the manipulation of mass effect dark energy. Using notes from Dr. Leo Cameral’s research allowed scientists to create implants that gave biotics the ability to control and manipulate dark energy. It was discovered that like dilithium crystals, exposure to elemental zero caused post-fetal development mutations in children and the creation of people called biotics. An international effort similar to the one developed for mages begins to track exposures to element zero. It also has a constant rate of 10% of children exposed to element zero show biotic ability while the rate is either 5% or 10% from dilithium exposures for mage ability.

An independent study revealed that it is currently impossible to mix mage and biotic abilities as the brain would run ‘hot’ if a child had both the mage gene (brain cells) and active biotic brainwave. Therefore, the body would naturally repress the gene or higher brain wave activity to save the child. The few children that had both an active mage gene and a brainwave mutation would die when their brain developed, often before they were six years of age and the blood-brain barrier closed.

2127 CE

Pluto’s orbit becomes circularized because of mass relay operations.

The medical miracle, medi-gel is developed by the Sirta Foundation, and it becomes one of the greatest medical breakthroughs in human history, and possibly even galactic history.

2132 CE

Construction of Arcturus Station is completed.

Because of the avid concerns over gene therapy and possible genetic modifications misuse, the Human Systems Alliance Courts passes the Sudham-Wolcott Genetic Heritage Act. It imposes sharp restrictions on controversial uses of genetic engineering while providing government subsidies for beneficial applications.

2133 CE: First Contact

While scouting out a potential mining system, a standard Human System Alliance patrol fleet picked up mass effect signatures of over fifty thousand ships. The ships scout out the area and found a large fleet of unknown alien design. They made the first contact with the Quarian Conclave using a ligneous program developed for the Prothean archives. The quarians explained they were an exile from a galactic government known as the Citadel Council for making the geth and being driven from their homeworld by their own AIs. Deeply moved by their plight, the Alliance gave them some of their extra ships, hulls, and supplies, along with non-classified technology like dilithium reactors and medi-gel that the quarians could use. The quarians returned the favor by giving up technology like their newly Cyclonic Barrier Technology (CBT) for frigates and fighters, non-military tech, and improved drive core design for increased lifespan. They also provided information on not only the Citadel Council and several known species, but also advanced biotic/tech techniques the Alliance put to good use.

The quarians would leave Alliance space after a year, but not before the Alliance let them know they were welcome anytime they needed help. Many quarians would head to Alliance space during their pilgrimage to work for a gift to take back as part of their pilgrimage.

2134 CE

The various governments got together to discuss whether they should make contact with the Citadel Council. They decided not to make contact as they thought they were not ready on a social, economic, or military level and were cognoscente of the Quarian Conclave’s problems.

While the various governments decided against contact with the Citadel Council, they did decide that the Human System Alliance would have the right to create a Parliamentary Government that would represent humanity when they contacted the Citadel Council. Within a year, a Prime Minister and several other officials were elected into office to represent the Interplanetary Government.

Faced with the fact that humanity could be confronted with hostile aliens, various Earth military forces donated a large portion of their forces to the Alliance for the inevitable contact with a hostile force.

2135 CE

The Hannar Keedar developed recon and rocket drones, as well as FENRIS, LOKI and YMIR mechs to help substitute as security for human colonies and private companies. While they were no substitute for trained military or police personnel, they were great for heavy support and help in guarding places that the Alliance or police forces could not patrol due to the extremely hazardous conditions, or lack of numbers.

With the possibility of finding a hostile species, several industries for the Human System Alliance’s military technology used research from the quarians to make various new equipment and vehicles. These included an early design of the Everest class Dreadnought, the A-61 Gunship, M-35 Mako, M-44 Hammerhead, F-61 Trident Fighter and UT-47 Kodiak Drop Shuttle.

2139 CE

The Human Systems Alliance purchased Gagarin Station at a fraction of its construction cost before they converted the facility into a biotic and mage research/training facility. It is also used by the alliance as a research facility in the study of particle plasma and mass effect technology.

A fierce debate on whether humanity should make contact with the Citadel government takes place, but in the end, it was narrowly defeated, as a fierce debate would continue on the topic.

2140 CE: The Begin and End of the Human Turian War

February 6th: At Relay 314, a Human System Alliance fleet of two cruisers and six frigates were activating the relay for faster travel to an established colony. While they were activating the relay, they encountered a heavy Turian Hierarchy patrol force. The turians noticed the humans and moved to attack them for activating a dormant relay of unknown origin (to them), an act that had been forbidden by galactic law after the Rachni Wars. They did not even try to contact the humans’ patrol fleet before they opened fire, destroying a cruiser and a frigate with their first barrage. The humans returned fire with PCPs and kinetic weapons, destroying, or damaging several turian ships including the command ship, sending the turians into disarray. The surviving Alliance cruiser and three frigates retreated before the turians could reorganize. The turians did not pursue the humans, but they did contact the Hierarchy’s High Command about a possibly hostile alien race that needed to be subjected under their banner.

February 7th: The surviving Alliance ships reached the colony Shanxi and warned the Alliance that the turians were coming. The fleets began to scramble as they waited for the Turian Hierarchy to arrive. A Heavy Cruiser, _SSV Discovery_ was sent to contact the Council in a hope to end hostilities before the war began. However, the ship’s mission failed, as the turians intercepted and disable the ship. Captain Yamato Inuzuka destroyed his own ship to prevent the turians from gathering any information about their race and their technology.

February 16th: The Turian Hierarchy 7th Fleet under General Desolas Arterius attacked the Human System Alliance colony Shanxi. The turians destroyed the small fleet and defense satellites over the planet with few turian casualties before they moved to occupy the planet. On the planet, the turians met heavy ground resistance from human fighters, gunships, tanks, mechs, techs, biotics, mages, and soldiers under General Alexander Williams. The turians were caught by surprise, but they still pushed the humans back under the juggernaut of the Turian army.

February 18th: The Turians were about to drop asteroids to quell Human’s resistance when the 2nd Fleet under Admiral Kastanie Drescher dropped in to face the Turians at close quarters combat using kinetic weapons, PPCs, and plasma lasers. On the planet, General Williams used planetary space cannons hidden in the mountains and hills. The Turians lost the majority of their ships in the crossfire, including General Arterius’s command ship. Only a small number of frigates would escape ‘The Slaughter of Shanxi,’ as the turians would call it.

February 21st: The surviving turian ships had returned to Turian Space, and the Turian Hierarchy prepares for full-scale war against the Human System Alliance. However, the other two members of the Citadel Council, the Asari Republic, and Salarian Union find out about their attack and put pressure on their fellow Council members to stop their march to war as they tried to start negotiations with this unknown species. Envoys under the future Asari Councilor, Matriarch Tevos, were sent to Alliance territory to negotiate a cease-fire. They were surprised to find that humanity knew about the Council’s existence and had decided not to make contact due to personal reasons. Talks soon began between the Human System Alliance and the Citadel Council.

April 4th: After months of negotiations, the two came into agreement. The Human System Alliance would receive an embassy, the ability to build 2 dreadnoughts for every 5 Turian dreadnoughts, and the promise of military/political aid for any issue they would come across. In return, the Alliance would set up cheap trading rights of their non-classified technology, defend trade routes near their borders, and sell a fixed amount of dilithium crystals to the Council. A peace treaty was officially signed between the Human System Alliance and the Turian Hierarchy. A peace treaty that would hold despite the resentment both species had for each other.

An anonymous extranet manifesto was published following the end of the Human Turian War. The manifesto calls for an army, a ‘Cerberus,’ to be established to defend humanity against inevitable alien attacks. Derided as ‘survivalist rhetoric written by an Illusive Man,’ the manifesto is quickly forgotten by the media.

2142 CE

Tensions between the Human System Alliance and the Citadel Council began to rise as various Citadel governments wanted the humans to sell their more advanced technology but were not able or willing to trade technology just as advanced to the humans. Disagreements escalated as the humans demanded equal or more advanced technology while the Council only wanted to trade in the form of money or resources used for the short-term trade rather than an equal trade.

The Alliance had caught various Citadel companies trying to hack into their servers and sued them for their attempts. Even though the Council claimed ignorance, the humans suspected the Council had a hand in it. However, they did not have enough information to call it a violation of their treaty. And the Alliance themselves could not breach the treaty without facing severe repercussion from a government that did not want to release them and was more powerful than they were. That fact did not stop the Alliance from developing plans to separate from the Council if tensions got any worse.

April 12th: The Terra Firma party is formed under the promise to keep Earth’s needs first and to have the Human System Alliance stand-alone and away from the Citadel Council. Many of its members are known to be racist.

2143 CE

A series of starship drive failures are orchestrated over populated areas on human colony worlds, causing widespread exposures to element zero. This results in the second generation of humans born with biotic potential.

Medi-gel hits the galactic market for multiple races. Hospitals and a large number of military organizations began to buy the miracle gel in bulk, while an activist group against genetics tried to outlaw medi-gel, as it was technically illegal. The Council ruled in the Alliance’s favor because medi-gel was far too useful for everyone to outlaw it.

2145 CE

Terrorists tried to steal antimatter from the Alliance cruiser _SSV Geneva_. The sole figure arrested names his sponsor ‘Cerberus.’ This is the first known incident of sabotage connected to the Cerberus organization, but it was not the first suspected incident.

After years of the military being strip and ship off Earth, only a small battalion is station around the dimensional rifts. That would prove to be a mistake as a scientist claimed that the rifts are getting bigger.

2147 CE: The Beginning of the Mutant/Darkspawn War

September 1st: Around Earth, people begin to get sick as an airborne virus spreads through the populous. Exanimation reveals that the disease mutates the X-chromosome of its victim, and it was a cross-species disease. General order quarantine takes effect as the governments of Earth try to combat the disease.

By the end of the year, one out of ten, roughly 800 million people, would be infected or dead from the airborne disease as it targets each species equivalent of the X-chromosome. As the X-Chrome Mutation Disease (X-disease for short) begins to spread, the rifts slowly formed into portals. Many people are moved to pray at the portals for hope, getting in the way of the small military that normally guards these portals.

October 3rd: The Portals at the Vatican eventually become large enough that an army could walk in and out. Pope Clement XVI considered it a sign from God and had all the Cardinals and Bishops pray with him in front of the Vatican portal. Other governments considered it a danger but spent so much time arguing about what to do that by the time they reached a tentative decision, it was too late.

October 10th: During a large prayer meeting of church officials, creatures called mutants (later known as darkspawn) jumped out of the portal and attacked with weapons that resembled Earth’s medieval era weapons. Despite lacking a technological advantage, sheer numbers alone allowed the mutants to succeed in killing everyone around the portals. That included the entire Church’s ruling hierarchy and the army guarding the portals. They also took the army’s weapons providing the horde with kinetic weapons to replace their swords. The Mutant/Darkspawn War had officially begun.

Within Rome itself, only the Swiss Guard and a few citizens of Rome had survived by sealing themselves in the Church’s vault. They would later form a resistance force that attacked the mutants from behind enemy lines.

Alliance command splits mutants into four categories: goblins, grunts, ogres, and shirks.

After three weeks of constant fighting, two-thirds of Europe was under the mutant’s control while the other countries across the world were under constant attack. The mutants had also been involved in the kidnapping of several implanted mages and biotics, along with several healthy women to be used for what would later be termed a “terrible fate and purpose.”

October 31th: Several hospitals go silent across the world. Teams were sent to investigate, and in the process discover something unsettling. One out of thirty women infected mutates into terrible creatures called broodmothers that give birth to mutants and others that they consume. DNA testing revealed that the grunts and goblins representatives of the horde are created though mutated human DNA. The source of the other types of mutants remains unknown for the time being.

The Alliance began orbital bombardment to contain the plague. A woman near these battle zones or serving the military on Earth are given suicide pills to take if infected or captured.

Two weeks later, a few of the captured implanted mages and biotics appear. They were made into the vanguards of the horde; bring the leadership to a squad of mutants, along with enough firepower that would turn the tide of battle for the horde. It is also noted that the horde develops un-implanted biotics along with un-implanted mages. Mages and biotics are given suicide pills as well.

Realizing they could not contain the plague, the Alliance pleaded to the Council for aid. The Council would not even tell them it was purely a human mater until two months after the request for aid. The Alliance planned to leave the Council to look for aid outside of their domain.

Several isolated space stations are taken or built by the Human System Alliance to be used as a sterile environment to work on a cure or an inoculation for the X-disease. They also conducted in-depth research on the mutation and made several discoveries that allowed the Earth governments to hold the line.

By the end of the year, a little more than one-eighth of the Earth’s population was dead or infected. Only a few cities were left in Europe, including London, Vatican Rome, Rome, Paris, Moscow, and Berlin.

2148 CE

January 21st: Frustrated by the lack of aid, the Human System Alliance stated the Council violated the treaty they had signed and called a breach of the treaty. The Alliance then stopped all trade agreements, cut all ties, and ended the treaties they had signed with the Council except for a few, like the Treaty of Farixen, Sharing Prothean Technology, and the Armrest Agreement. The Council could do little about it since it was the law and would regret not helping as the Alliance decision nearly put the Council’s economy into a recession as they grew to depend on cheap trade going through Alliance space and new resources only the Alliance can provide.

Angry at the Alliance cutting all ties, the Council made it clear that anyone aiding the Human System Alliance would face severe repercussion. The Hanar Illuminated Primacy was the only government that ignored the Council as they secretly sent ships, drell assassins, and supplies to aid the Alliance fight to contain the X-Chromes Mutation Disease.

Once the Alliance left the Citadel, the Alliance sought out the Quarian Conclave for aid, and the two came to an agreement. The quarians sent a large number of ships to help the Alliance contain the disease as well as lent their best tech experts for mechs, defense satellites, weapons and such to help Earth. In exchange, the Alliance would terraform a planet, where the quarians could live on and could act as a safe haven for their species, a planet they would call New Rannoch

The mutants began making footholds in African and Asia. Some animal species in Europe, Asia, and Africa are brought to extinction as they are hunted down by desperate humans and hungry mutants. However, the humans hold the line for a few months thanks to quarian modified mechs.

Examining the enzymes of blood from a broodmother proved useless in finding a cure. However, it did prove useful as they discovered how broodmother’s increased fertility rates between species. It was useless information for humans, but it would lead the way to negotiate with the krogan race because of the salarian genetically modified disease known as the Genophage. This partial cure known as the Genofertilization would increase the fertility rates from one out of a thousand to one out of fifty in the krogans. Delegates secretly head to Tuchanka to negotiate with the various clans for aid.

The Alliance reached an agreement with Clan Urdnot and its allies under Urdnot Wrex. For a large number of warriors, they would distribute the cure among their allied clans, along with necessary supplies they needed. Each warrior also would be properly equipped, receive medical examination/treatment and food, and be paid one hundred credits per week \ for any who defend weak points in Alliance space. The compensation increases to two hundred and fifty credits for each warrior that serves on Earth. The money that krogans would use to pay the Alliance and various trusted companies for food and medical supplies for their general public while hiring engineers and scientist to help rebuild Tuchanka. The Alliance would slowly ship krogans to several planets the Alliance occupied, to make it seem that the Alliance hired a large number of mercenaries for Earth rather than an organized krogan military.

Pirates that had tried to take advantage of the Alliance’s weaken state were pushed back by heavy resistance and pushed away from their territory. One particularly fleet disappeared near the Perseus Veil.

2149 CE

The mutants began a heavy push on Earth. Most of Europe, Africa, and Russia were taken along with parts of Asia. Many humans began to fear that Earth would fall before an inoculation could be discovered, and they would be right until a new source of aid came from an unexpected source, the Geth Collective.

Concerned that quarians would invade their space thanks to the technology the Alliance gave them for their aid, the Geth appeared under a white flag to discuss terms for peace. In exchange for the same technology the Alliance offered the Quarians and a peace treaty between all parties, they would send Geth units to immediately aid the Alliance and give back to the Quarians half of their former colonies and the quarian’s homeworld, Rannoch as a sign of good faith.

After a month of debate, the Human System Alliance and the Quarian Conclave agreed to the Geth Collective’s terms. The Geth sent a large number of troops to push the mutants out of Africa and Asia while they containing them in Europe. The Quarians also sent a large number of ships to settle on their homeworld while the more paranoid or stubborn stayed on New Rannoch. A sorrowful peace began to settle for the quarians when they learned the entire history of the Morning War while the geth helped the quarians resettled Rannoch.

November 5th: The Human System Alliance had finally discovered an inoculation that would prevent the X-disease, so plans were made to retake Earth from the mutants. Many chemical plants and labs began mass production of the vaccine.

While the Alliance and allied forces plan to invade Earth, spaceports were open for the first time in years and began to ferry people to stations that were inoculated and quarantine for a week before they are shipped to the colonies. The populations in several of the colonies begin to double or triple within weeks.

2150 CE

January 1st: E-Day happens as allied forces of humans, drell, geth, and krogans invade Earth under the command of General Alexander Williams, General Lee Yui, and Admiral Hamachi Aardvark. The most famous troops known as the ‘First Battalion’ under a human mage named Major Alice McCoy, a geth infiltrator named Legion I, and the head warlord/biotic krogan named Urdnot Wrex.

Within weeks, the allied forces push the mutants deep into the central European and Italian Alps, taking the few major cities back and a large amount of now barren territory.

The mutants were able to hold the line with three new types, war dogs (quarians), snappers (krogans), and chameleons (drell). The allied forces also suffer heavy casualties from several surprise attacks in the allied controlled territory from tunnels the mutants’ dug across Europe.

Allied forces had discovered the underground tunnels, and they begin to send troops deep underground fighting and burning the mutants out while pushing them back.

May 8th: One of the sterilize space stations goes silent. Fearing a containment failure, a squad under Alice McCoy is sent to retake the station. They found that most of the scientists were still alive and comfortable thanks to a sentient mutant that calls himself the Architect. The Architect reveals that his species are called darkspawn, thralls to corrupted creatures called the Archdemon, and he seeks a means to break them from the creature’s ‘song.’ He believed the Alliance’s genetic technology could help, so he brokered a deal. In exchange for vital data the Alliance needed for their war against the darkspawn, he would be given safe passage back to Earth, along with some of their technology. The allied races reluctantly agreed.

The data given to the allied races was valuable data and allowed them to push the darkspawn in Italy into a few isolated pockets of heavy resistance.

As the war continues, a larger number of quarians begin to feel sympathetic to the geth, especially as the full history of the Morning War became well known. However, a small, but loud group, refused to accept peace and instead talked about destroying the geth while the geth were spread out across Alliance’s space. Tired of being ignored, the small group called Tasi planned to take over the fleet to attack the geth with a member of the Admiral Board. However, Tasi had tried to recruit name Rael’Zorah, who took the information to warn the fleet.

July 18th: The quarians tried to arrest the conspirators, but Tasi took over one of the Live Ships and held the civilian population hostage until their demands were met: the termination of their alliance with the geth and any allied race that supported them. The quarians contacted their allies for help, and their allies responded by sending the First Battalion to help retake the quarians’ Live Ship.

July 20th: The First Battalion was sent to raid the Live Ship with the aid of Rael’Zorah. Within hours, they took out Tasi with minimal civilian and allied casualties. Combined with the geth sending aid to the quarians, hostilities between the two races ended and the peace would hold. Rael’Zorah was invited into the First Battalion, as a Commander in charge of the support ships due to his shown leadership qualities. He accepted with honors.

On Tuchanka, Wrex began to gather greater support for the alliance and even began to talk of a permanent alliance with the support of a famous female shaman, Urdnot Branka. Several clans were supportive of the alliance that helped rebuild Tuchanka, but some did not agree. Wrex’s brother Wreav opposed the alliance and thought they should take the Genofertilization for themselves before waging war on the galaxy. However, Wrex was too popular to oppose, but that did not stop Wreav from trying to assassinate Wrex.

August 12th: Wreav and several of his supporters tried to assassinate Wrex as he returned home but failed thanks to several of Wrex’s bodyguards, and a human named Lt. Carol West, who was a powerful mage and friend of Wrex. The battle was bloody, and only Wrex and two of his bodyguards survived while Carol took Wreav down herself before she died.

Enraged by his friend’s death, Wrex traced and killed the other conspirators in his own clan. With most of the opposition dead, Wrex honored his friend by being the first alien to be buried on Tuchanka. His actions rallied the support of most of the clans to create the Krogan Clan Alliance. Urdnot Wrex was appointed as head of this new government. A position he hated, as he was unable to rejoin the war and help the humans retake Earth, but the humans welcomed as the krogans bolstered their numbers on Earth as a unified force for the first time in their history.

2151 CE: End of the Darkspawn War

[Top Secret]: During the war, the Geth Collective reported they received threats by something they call the ‘Old Machine,’ for their support of the allied races. The ‘Old Machine’ is an old creature that claimed to have wiped out the protheans and countless other species. Whether its claims are true or not remains a mystery at this time as the allied races prepare to help the geth.

[Top Secret] January 29th: The Forth Fleet supported by quarian and geth ships moved to protect a valuable shipment of materials and cybernetics needed to help the geth evolve into individuals when they were attacked by several pirate ships, rogue hacked geth, and the ‘old machine’ that called itself Sovereign. The battle was intense and bloody but ended with a damaged Sovereign on the retreat while it’s ‘allies’ were killed. However, the casualties were high with the destruction of 1 dreadnought, 2 carriers, 3 heavy cruisers, 7 cruisers, 8 heavy frigates, and 26 frigates, plus a large number of fighters. Deactivated material from Sovereign’s wreckage was collected once determined it was safe. The wreckage would later give rise to new technological advances.

The events with Sovereign were classified and written into the official report as a struggle of radicals against synthetics to prevent a panic the public. They did inform the Council the truth though they did not believe the ship was alive. However, it but that did not stop them going to the battle site to takes samples and copy sensor logs to copy the technology as well.

Concerned with the continuing war between the allied races and the darkspawn, the Council sent several operatives to Earth in secret. The Council lost contact with all their operatives within days and did not tell the Alliance about their missing operatives.

Within weeks, the Alliance began seeing several new types of darkspawn known as avians (turians), bashers (elcor), stingers (hanar), and vrogs (salarians) as the darkspawn seem to grow exponentially. Concerned about the increase in enemy numbers, Legion I moved behind enemy lines with several drell, geth, human and a few quarian infiltrators to find the source. They discovered the survivors of the Council infiltration team: an asari, two salarians, and five turians. The rest were killed or turned into broodmothers. It also revealed that when an asari is turned into a broodmother, they make darkspawn of the asari ‘father species’ and give birth to other broodmothers. The survivors of the team are taken away while the cave was firebombed. It is unsure how many new asari based broodmothers now exist.

After the survivors were taken back to Council Space, the Council finally agreed to send aid to the Human System Alliance. However, they were turned down, claiming they had done enough damage as of now.

March 8th: General Alexander Williams is killed by Darkspawn assassins during the release of new darkspawn.

May 5th: During a battle for one of their forward command bases near Italy, Major Alice McCoy saw a hole in the lines and took a chance. She led the First Battalion to the hole and punched through their lines, destabilizing the darkspawn, and forced them to retreat while the First Battalion went to Rome and the Vatican. Within three weeks, most of Italy was secured thanks to the First Battalion and the Vatican Swiss Guard as the darkspawn retreated south.

With the Vatican secured, the Alliance began setting up a post to keep the Darkspawn from poring through the portal, using gun nests and mines to keep them back while the First Battalion started hunting down the few remnants of the Darkspawn on Earth. The Darkspawn remained quiet for a few months.

August 2nd: The Darkspawn had used the months to gather ships in an attempt to break through the blockade with several decommissioned frigates, over thirty freighters and hundreds of fighters and gunships. It breaks out into a fierce space battle as the darkspawn take over a few planetary space cannons. They would have broken through if the First Battalion did not retake the planetary cannons and attacked darkspawn forces from behind. The entire darkspawn fleet was destroyed, along with the last remaining darkspawn on Earth.

The entire First Battalion was declared heroes and Alice McCoy was promoted to Colonel for her heroic actions. Her entire family attended, including her daughter, a non-biotic/mage girl named Hannah Sheppard.

The Human System Alliance’s Parliament began discussions on how to collapse the portal, as a population of 3.8 billion could not be evacuated. Without any indications as to how to close the portals while darkspawn kept pouring through, they instead initiated a plan called Operation Home Wreck. The plan included the firebombing of the entrance of the portals for several weeks before sending the First Battalion to invade the darkspawn in their home lair.

October 3rd: Late in the evening, the First Battalion moved into the portal with a nuclear warhead. Their objective was to set off the warhead and kill as many darkspawn as possible. As soon as they entered, they discovered large tunnels that were still filled with darkspawn that had survived the firebombing. The mission escalated into a heavy firefight as the team pushed to put the nuclear device deep into the tunnels and far away from the portal and prevent the nuclear blast from reaching the Earth’s surface. Battalion casualties were enormous as they lost a fourth of their men going down tunnels for 5 km (3.18 miles) after six hours of hand to hand combat.

October 4th: While exploring the tunnels looking for a place to leave the bomb, the group discovered a large group of children, all females. The majority were human or humans with the dominate dwarf gene, but twenty-nine of them were entirely different species. One claimed they were elves while the other was an entirely new species with horns called qunari. Realizing it was now a rescue operation, Colonel Alice McCoy ordered a fourth of her men to escort the seventy children away as they placed the bomb in the tunnels. After they had set the bomb, the group was about to leave when the Archdemon appeared with an army of darkspawn. The fight was extremely bloody, for each time the creature was killed, a darkspawn would transform into an Archdemon. Finally, they used M-920 Cain Cannons to obliterate the remaining darkspawn and to buy them time to plan the next wave. Knowing that their position had been compromised by the sound of the cannons, Alice took a third of her remaining men to protect the bomb while the rest ran to safety. Her men who had volunteered followed orders as her group held the line. A last-minute transmission before the warhead was detonated revealed that they had been overwhelmed as Alice made a last stand against the Archdemon. The explosion ended the Darkspawn War and resulted in an over 60% casualty rate for the First Battalion.

Within two weeks of relative peace, the last portal was closed, and the war was officially over. The First Battalion under Captain Caleb Wolfangle and Legion I was given unit citations and medals for their explanatory service. The two accept the reward for the unit with a young krogan name Terex, Commander Rael’Zorah, and a rising star in special forces, Lieutenant David Anderson. It marked the beginning of unification of the four races and talks of not only an alliance but also a permanent union.

For the children saved by the First Battalion, most of them were put up for adoption to various families on Earth or in the colonies while trying to keep blood-related children together. A few would remain in foster care until they were of age, but none of them were qunari or elf.

The Hanar Illuminated Primacy continued their alliance with the humans but opted out of the talks of a union and instead decided to stay within the Council. However, they did get exclusive trade rights with the geth, humans, krogans, and quarians.

2152 CE: Birth of the Confederation Alliance of Worlds

February 3rd: The Geth Conclave, the Human System Alliance, the Krogan Clan Alliance and the Quarian Conclave formed under a collective alliance known as the Confederation Alliance of Worlds. The Confederation would be the first joint military and social government outside of the Citadel.

The first order of Confederation was to enter into a trade agreement with the Citadel Council but while stating that they would remain outside the Council. The Council reluctantly agreed, and all four races now share a diplomatic embassy in the Citadel. Most of the basic treaties were signed except for the one placing limits on AI, genetic technology, and exploration policies. Several Confederation ships were sent out to explore new clusters to help support their members’ rising population.

The new military craft was being reproduced, redesigned, or built across Confederation space for the new joint military.

2154 CE

April 11th: Jane and John Shepard are born on the _CSS Einstein_. Jane showed signs of being a mage while John showed signs of being a biotic.

The First Battalion was reassigned as the Confederation Special Forces group, similar to the Council’s SPECTRE. Most of the SPECTREs began working with the First Battalion while a few protested working with them. The most noticeable was a turian named Saren Arterius, son of General Arterius who had died in the Human Turian War.

The Confederation started funding the Homeworld Restoration Bill, a proposal to restore the human, krogan, and quarian homeworlds to their natural state. Work begins by using cloning technology and new environmental technology that would fully restore the damage done to these three worlds.

2155 CE

New Thanix Cannons and cheap Solaris Armor are offered to the public after a Confederation attack frigate saved an asari matriarch and her corvette from pirates. The other races outside the Hanar Illuminated Primacy work to copy the technology while the Council reveals theirs. Only the turians and salarians made perfect copies while the asari had made superior models. Intelligence suggests that the Council races were able to copy the technology due to the salarian’s spy programs, their own samples of Sovereign, and asari superior knowledge of mass effect technology.

The Confederation began construction of Arcturus Station II, using the original Arcturus Station as the basis for the station. It would operate as the home base for the Senate Council of the Confederation Alliance of Worlds as the Alliance government was moved there and Luna now served as the Human System Alliance headquarters.

2158 CE

The Confederation Alliance of Worlds was officially recognized as an independent government by the Citadel Council and considered to be allies. However, despite their independence, many still considered the Confederation, an associate member of the Council. They often were even treated like that by the Council, but the newly established trade routes and the aid the Confederation received from the Council kept the Confederation from protesting too much.

The quarian homeworld Rannoch was considered fully restored.

2160 CE

The Arterius Station II was completed and christened by a newly elected President Jessie Lamar.

The Cerberus organization, a black opt/human terrorist group began hiring non-human members that are part of the Confederation, though the group was still composed of mostly humans.

The Confederation began offering trade protection treaties with several planets, including a promise to protect trade routes between the Confederation and Citadel against pirates and slavers. This, in turn, makes them very popular as the pirate and slaver population begin to decrease over the years to come. They are also in a position to act as a third party to help negotiations with the various Terminus System warlords and the Citadel Council since a large number of their trade routes ran through Confederation space.

2161 CE

In an offer of peace between the Confederation of Worlds and the Citadel Council, geth, hanar, humans, quarians, salarians, and turians co-design a new stealth class spaceship dubbed as the Specter class frigate. The STG and a few SPECTREs make use of the stealth ship that combined geth cloaking generators, quarian engines, human dilithium crystal reactor, hanar interfaces, the Confederation’s new Tantalus Drive Core, salarian stealth drive, turian ship design, and Council and Confederation weaponry.

The Confederation saw greater potential for the Specter class and made a Spirit class heavy frigate that could launch surprise attacks on large ships. Six prototypes are made for the Spirit class: _CSS Normandy, Waterloo, Little Bighorn, Iwo Jima,_ _Canrum,_ and _Morning_ that would be assigned to the First Battalion along with twelve more vessels by the end of the decade.

Confederation forces revealed that the krogans have been partially cured by the application of Genofertilization. The Council at first was alarmed but seeing the krogans have not made any action against the Council decided to let it slide. However, a few STG members noted the number of krogan births was higher than the humans had predicated and decided to investigate the krogan’s population boom.

2163 CE

An unknown team secretly begins AI research at a base on Sidon under Dr. Shu Qian. Lt. Kahlee Sanders is assigned as a tech analyst.

The first Confederation AI named Eliza is born in secret on a Gagarin Station. She was given full rights by geth suggestion and integrated into the _CSS Normandy_ under the recommendation of Commander Anderson. The Citadel Council was made aware of the AI’s birth some five years later as a VI upgraded to AI by ‘accident.’ While she was the first, she would not be the last AIs created as over a dozen more are made ‘accidentally’ and intentionally by the Confederation.

2164 CE

The human homeworld Earth/Terra is consider restored with the return of species that have not been seen in over five hundred years. Also, advanced technology repaired much of the damage done to it over the years.

2165 CE

As the Confederation continues to expand, founding more colonies and establishing strong trade alliances, the Council acknowledged their contributions and offered them colony rights to Attican Traverse and the Skyllian Verge. It was hoped their presence would restore order in the area. Instead, their presence created tensions between the Confederation Alliance of Worlds and the Batarian Hegemony as they competed for territory in the Skyllian Verge.

After a Confederation research station at Sidon was attacked, Commander David Anderson searched for those responsible alongside Kahlee Sanders and discovered an Alliance scientist, Dr. Shu Qian, was conducting AI research to unlock the secrets behind a mysterious artifact discovered near the Perseus Veil. Eventually, Anderson’s squad was assigned to work with Saren Arterius to track down Dr. Qian and his batarian supporter, Edan Had’dah and bring them back to the station. However, Saren killed both Dr. Qian and Had’dah and tried to blame Anderson for a refinery exploding that killed several of the workers and the two men. He was unsuccessful as the First Battalion vouched for Anderson and noted how he had helped save most of the civilians when Saren caused the refinery to explode. Anderson requested observations on Saren’s activities, and he would be assigned to monitor the SPECTREs. He was granted his request, and as a result, the relationship between the First Battalion and the SPECTREs was strained for a time. Saren was blacklisted by the First Battalion and Confederation.

2167 CE

Salarian STG finally found enough evidence that the krogans were becoming immune to the Genophage. In response, an angry Dalatrass ordered a young but talented geneticist Mordin Solus to create a more advance Genophage along with work on neutralizing the effects of the Genofertilization.

2168 CE

Frustrated by their lack of keeping up with the Confederation Alliance of Worlds, Batarians begin funding pirates and slavers to attack them, particularly human or krogan colonies. Confederation CID hackers catch on to the plot, and they begin siphoning money from the exchanges while putting the colonies on high alert. Several pirate and slaver organized attacks were repulsed by the Confederation forces, and some found their accounts empty. However, it does not deter the pirates as the batarians keep paying them through several channels due to small-scale success on small or independent colonies on the fringes of Confederation space.

Realizing that their pirate strategy was not working, several Batarian military officials start asking the Hegemony to increase their military funds so they could build-up the military strength to deal a crippling blow directly to the Confederation. However, the government and the military had not realized they were heading into an economic recession as they continued to fund the pirates while getting little return from the generally unsuccessful raids.

The Jon Grissom Academy was commission in Elysium. It became home to the Alliance’s new biotic and mage training program called the Ascension Project.

2169 CE

The krogan homeworld Tuchanka was considered to be restored to the best possible extent due to the thousands of years of neglect. Still, a good portion of the planet became a jungle again, which should help restore the atmosphere over time, again thanks to the work of the Homeworld Restoration Bill.

Mordin’s team would successfully create and launch a new version of the Genophage to keep birth rates low. He also started work on a counter to the Genofertilization but argued against its deployment, as it potentially would cause war, and the whole Confederation backing the less aggressive krogan government. The other Dalatrasses agreed, and the weapon remained untouched after Mordin finished it six years later. Confederation forces are none the wiser until the CID recovered information from a data cache a decade later.

2170 CE

The human colony of Mindoir was attacked by batarian slavers. The combined ground forces of human, geth, and krogan fought valiantly, but in the end, more than half the colonist and marines on the planet were taken or killed, along with many valuable resources. It would be a morale booster for years to come to the pirate/slaver groups. Jane and John Sheppard’s father, Lieutenant Commander Connor Sheppard died in the attack, affecting them for the rest of their lives.

Another human colony, Yandoa, suffered catastrophic atmospheric dust-form element zero exposure when an Eldfell-Ashland Energy ship explodes in orbit. Many children suffer birth defects while four hundred and thirty-five biotic children are born.

2171 CE

In protest at the refusal of the Citadel Council to limit Confederation expansion in the Skyllian Verge, the Batarians close their embassy, withdraw into their home systems, and effectively become a rogue state.

The Batarian Hegemony approves Operation Smash and Grab, and they begin to build up a large military force even as the batarians were suffering from a recession.

2172 CE

April 11th: John and Jane Shepard enlist in the Confederation military.

2173 CE

A fly-by over the world of Armeni discovers odd surface protrusions. Upon closer inspection, they are identified as elaborate crypts made by the zeioph, an extinct spacefaring race. Various universities seek to perform excavation, but Council laws that hold burial sites as sacrosanct prevent this. An ongoing debate over the issue ensues.

Terra Firma is involved in a Nashan Stellar Dynamics kickbacks scandal, forcing Inez Simmons, the current party leader, to resign and the party to dissolve. In its place is the First Prime Party is formed, a new political group consisting mostly of humans who want the Confederation to end all alliances with Citadel Council. Charles Saracino becomes the new party leader after his opponent Claude Menneau disappeared. Intelligence suspected that Cerberus might have been responsible for Claude’s disappearance.

2174 CE

Batarian funded pirates launch a surprise attack, later known as the Skyllian Blitz, on the multi-race colony of Elysium. The assault is repulsed by the Confederation Navy, and ground forces rallied by Lieutenant Jane Shepard. While in the background, Lieutenant John Sheppard planned the battle strategy that saved many lives and dealt crippling blows to the pirates. Both received commendations, and they were promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander and was accepted into the N branch (Special Forces).

2175 CE

On a survey mission in 2175 to Aeia, an important colonization prospect for the Systems Alliance, the _MSV Hugo Gernsback_ disappears, and it is presumed destroyed.

A political dissident on Earth provides Michael Moser Lang received funds to purchase weapons. One year later, Lang assassinates the United North American States president Enrique Aguilar and Chinese People’s Federation Premier Ying Xiong. Cerberus is believed to be responsible for the resulting political shuffle but why is still under investigation.

2176 CE: The Batarian and Confederation Conflict

Batarian launches a secret fleet of three dreadnoughts and several support vessels across Confederation space to attack the corporate world Noveria. The attack was a plan to make the Confederation look bad while stealing technology developed on the planet for the Council and Confederation’s military. They did not realize the First Battalion and CRF were observing them.

June 5th: A larger patrol fleet confronted the Batarian fleet ten light years within Confederation Territory, just before the mass relay to Noveria. They were told to turn back but the warnings are ignored, and the patrol fleet was fired upon. The fleet evaded the Batarians with few casualties as the First Battalion struck from their hidden location with twelve of their eighteen Specter Class ships. Two dreadnoughts were immediately destroyed in the surprise attack, and the third was destroyed within ten minutes by the swarming Spirit class ships. The other Batarian ships were fired upon by the patrol fleet and suffered heavy casualties. The surviving batarians retreated to Batarian Space after the last dreadnaught was destroyed, ending the brief conflict between the Confederation Alliance of Worlds and the Batarian Hegemony.

The Citadel Council made the Batarians Hegemony pay severe repercussion to the Citadel, Confederation, and Noveria after their plans were revealed thanks to intercepted communication by the Confederation. This made the Batarians retreat even deeper into their territory to face an economic depression and possible civil war. Yet despite these hardships, military commanders feeling outraged of the turn of events used their own paychecks to pay for the pirate attacks in Council and Confederation space, and they continued to do so for two more years.

Due to heavy pirate attacks across the galaxy, the First Battalion, CRF, CID, SPECTRE, and STGs begin working together to track down and eliminate the pirate/slaver rings funded by the Batarians.

The Anhur Rebellions waged over the practice of slavery on the human and batarian colony world of Anhur and spread throughout the Amun system. Abolitionism supporters hire the Eclipse mercenary group to fight the batarian pro-slavery Na’hesit faction.

Jane and John Shepard finish training up to N6.

2177 CE

During a recon mission on Akuze to find a missing colonial pioneer team, a unit of fifty soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Commander Jane Sheppard investigated a distress call when they were attacked by a thresher maw. Sheppard was able to kill the thresher maw on foot, but lost thirty-six of her men with five others reported as MIA.

Jane is pushed into the N7 program and promoted to the rank of Commander.

2178 CE

In retaliation for pirate attacks, the Confederation launches a major offensive against the moon of Torfan and destroys the criminal bases, mostly populated by batarians; while several others smaller bases are attacked by the Citadel Council. Major Kyle led the assault with his special forces, but he loses his nerve in the battle after half of his men died in the initial landing due to bad Intel. Lieutenant Commander John Sheppard took command and led the Alliance to victory with acceptable casualties due to his tactical mind. Sheppard took no prisoners, and the threat against Confederation and Council colonies from batarian extremists was curtailed.

John is pushed into the N7 program and promoted directly to the rank of Captain.

The Confederation tracked several pirate FTL exit vectors over a period of six months using covert monitoring devices planted on Theshaca’s moons, leading the Confederation and Council Navy to eight major pirate anchorages. Since the ‘Theshaca Raids,’ no ships from the Terminus Systems have entered the Hong system.

The Anhur Rebellions end with the abolitionist forces in power and the reconstruction of Anhur commences. They receive much-needed aid from Confederation Alliance of Worlds before they become a full member.

2179 CE

Captain John Sheppard and Commander Jane Sheppard are invited into the First Battalion under the Command of Rear Admiral David Anderson and the first Spirit Class ship, the SR-1 _CSS Normandy_. Their missions mostly focus on eliminating pirate, slaver and mercenary forces in the Attican Traverse and Confederation’s outer territory.

2180 CE

On Luna, an Enhance Defense Intelligence system goes haywire due to sabotage, possibly by Cerberus, and evolve into an AI due to the introduction of Reaper tech. Geth units were brought in to deactivate her, but in transit to a secure location, she disappeared. However, a shadow copy named Cortona was saved by the Geth. She was put on the _CSS Normandy_ under the watchful eye of Eliza as she taught her the ropes.

2182 CE

Admiral Kahoku of the Confederation begins investigating Cerberus activities.

The AI Data is invited into the Confederation Senate to represent the new synthetics outside the Geth. A debate ensues on whether they will get more seats in the Senate as AI numbers slowly begin to rise.

2183 CE

Present Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the timeline and I hope you enjoy it. On a side note, please read another story I updated on Codex if you are interested. If I update the codex entry, I will indicate if updates have occurred in each chapter.  
> 1) The instruments are available for a Radiologist to detect the presence of radioactive elements across the world and their source. After the first two atomic bombs were used in WWII, we could find trace levels of radioactive cesium all over the world in anything that was not sealed before 1945. In other words, if soils do not have a small amount of the isotopes produced during a nuclear explosion, then the mineral cannot be from Earth or a planet with nuclear weapons.  
> 2) Lyrium/dilithium crystals have to gain their energy somewhere, and since they mostly appear around lava pits and appear to originate from volcanic activity, I think it’s more likely gained through extreme thermal energy.  
> 3) I am not a fool to believe people would protect the mages and biotics out the goodness of their heart. It is more probable they would protect future military assets that can move and destroy things with their minds.  
> 4) Humanity will rapidly advance their technology than in canon because of the fear that the whole world would be destroyed. Therefore, humans would push to develop a space program as quickly as possible to get more people off the world in fear of the dimensional rifts in Europe.  
> 5) I decided to have the quarians be the one to make the first contact and to shape humanities’ development. I am setting humans up to make a militaristic United Federation of Planets.  
> 6) Yep, I had a turian, and the human war death toll is higher than cannon, as it says that in the First Contact War was a month long with 678 humans killed, and the number of turian killed was slightly higher. A cruiser has 800 personnel, a frigate’s personnel numbers possibly 60 to 120 humans while the turians have a reported 300 on their frigates. Several ships are destroyed; the turians occupied a colony and dropped asteroids wherever the military tried to fight. The Alliance fleet drove them out by blasting a large number of them out of orbit. Casualties should have been twenty times the amount reported, at least for this kind of war, even if most of the ships that destroyed were frigates.  
> 7) From what I got from a cannon, the Citadel rarely did anything until it was too late to affect the outcome. Moreover, a disease that is only on one planet and affecting a new race does not make them see the danger, despite the fact it is a cross-species disease.  
> 8) Earth has a smaller population as more people try to leave for space earlier due to the fear of what the dimensional rifts actually were. It also means populations in all the colonies are around ten times larger than in canon.  
> 9) In this Mass Effect Universe, I am trying to put several species together in a Federation like creation to establish an alliance between the four outcast races: geth, humans, krogans, and quarians against the darkspawn.  
> 10) I always felt the krogans bitterness about the galaxy was not so much at the fact that they lost, as that loss proved to them that they were weak and needed to improve. No, it was the fact the Council had to use a bio-weapon to beat them, which made them feel cheated. Not to mention that after they were uplifted, the krogans were sent to the frontlines alone, making the Council seem weak in the krogan eyes. However, the Confederation members fought alongside them, proving to all that the krogans are equals.  
> 11) Sovereign was introduced early as I felt it would use all its power to stop the alliance. However, due to the lack of data, they will not fully understand Sovereign until much later. Also, the Thanix cannon is not as powerful as they did not analyze from Sovereign’s main gun, but the small guns along its hull. A more powerful version will be introduced after Sovereign is destroyed.  
> 12) The timeline pretty much follows that in the Mass Effect Universe but a few differences that are noticeable, like the Batarians being angry at the Confederation for stealing their money.  
> 13) It is assumed that Mordin was 38 years old in 2185.  
> Spoiler: The Reapers purpose will be a lot different from Cannon. It still is a solution to chaos, just not the organic vs. synthetic argument. If you want more detail, read the codex spoiler.


	3. Cerberus and Other Criminal Organizations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Reader: Albert

Cerberus Forces

Standard equipment: Among Cerberus forces, most are equipped with medium type armor that gives them moderate protection (health), and jetpack boots that allow them to jump up or down to their target. In combat, non-melee soldiers use an electric baton in melee combat, along with an M-358 Talon as their primary weapon or a secondary one for executing traitors/prisoners. Finally, they have red optics attached to their helmet/visor for enhanced vision (broader light spectrum of vision) and for an added intimidation factor to their foes.

Assault Trooper: Among the Cerberus forces, none is more numerous and tenacious than the Cerberus assault troopers. Dressed in yellow and white armor, assault troopers are used in every operation and job Cerberus predicates in. From guard duty to invasions, they are the primary muscle of the reclusive terrorist organization. If you see an Assault Trooper, you know it is a fight for survival against waves of troops fanatically loyal to Cerberus. Assault Troopers use an M-25 Hornet for fighting within structures and an M-96 Mattock for combat in open fields. They also use frag generates against a large number of enemies clustered together, or to soften-up though targets.

Avengers: The frontline biotics of Cerberus forces, Avengers are biotic vanguards that use tactics different from standard vanguards. While most vanguards rush in with their charge ability, avengers run up to their foes, attacking with their reaver ability and a shotgun. When combat is not going their way, Avengers will retreat to a safe location using their charge ability to restore their shields safely and continue to attack from long-range. Avengers have kinetic barriers and use an M-22 Eviscerator for close range combat and an M-25 Hornet for long-range combat.

Biotic Commandoes: Within a squad, Biotic Commandoes are the biotic support unit for Cerberus that clears the field of enemy soldiers. In battle, Biotic Commandoes use singularities/pull in large/small areas to stop unshielded units or slow down shielded/armored units. Commandoes also use biotic warp/pulse fields to take down shielded units along with a push to detonate singularities/pulls sill active. Biotic Commandoes wear light armor and have biotic enhance kinetic barriers.

Centurion: Leading standard Cerberus forces are the Centurions, ruthless tacticians that Cerberus have come to rely on with their military-grade kinetic barriers and a radio backpack that can break through any known environmental interference. In combat, Centurions use tactics and armaments similar to the assault trooper with a few notable exceptions. For one, the centurions use a Cerberus Harrier instead of an M-96 Mattock, along with an M-13 Raptor to snipe targets. The second is that they use smoke grenades to create smoke cover when they are attacking against, or retreating from their opposition. The only noticeable weakness in the Cerberus fighting force has grown to rely on a Centurions being in charge. If the Centurions are killed, then the whole Cerberus squad or army becomes disorganized, and they slowly fall apart. That is why Confederation forces’ considered Cerberus centurions as priority targets in battle.

Combat Engineer: Among Cerberus forces, Combat Engineers are the handyman for Cerberus forces. Able to repair equipment, hack into systems, and build shield generators, the Combat Engineers is a valuable cog in the Cerberus war machine. In combat, they have the ability to overload a single target’s shields and deploying a turret that can take down light vehicles in the heat of battle, even if turrets are vulnerable when they are deployed. If a turret is destroyed, it creates an explosion powerful enough to not only kill the engineer, but also anyone near them. Combat Engineers wear light armor and enhance military grade kinetic barriers.

Field Surgeons: In combat, Field Surgeons are the difference between life and death for a Cerberus soldier. Identifiable with their kinetic barriers and a backpack filled with medical supplies, Field Surgeons are medics able to heal organic tissue (health only) when they are not being fired upon. They can also revive up to three fallen soldiers with their limited amount of supplies. As a consequence, they are saved for the elite troops. In combat, Field Surgeons can use neural shock against organic targets and acidic Omni-tool attack for armor targets. Field Surgeons also carry an M-25 Hornet for combat purposes.

Guardian: Known as living tanks, guardians are assault troops equipped with a polycrystalline-composite shield that is virtually impossible to penetrate with standard weapons. Combined with the strength to wield a heavy shield as a blunt weapon, they move slowly under the weight of their shields. Without their shields, they are able to switch battle tactics to that of an assault trooper and can kill people with one hit should they catch their target with their baton. Guardians are equipped with an M-96 Mattock for long-range combat and an M-22 Eviscerator for close range combat.

Nemesis: Part of the sniper units of Cerberus force, Nemeses are marksmen trained to use their Black Widow to the best of their abilities in either killing or disabling targets with one clean shot while also being very hard to take down. With military-grade kinetic barriers, acrobatics and a tactical cloak to help them escape, the Nemesis is a premier sniper and one worthy of respect. Nemeses wear light armor to keep up their agility and speed.

Sorcerer: Within a squad, Sorcerers are the magician support for the Cerberus forces to clear out large areas of enemy soldiers. In battle, Sorcerers confound/weaken their targets with entropy spells while releasing area spells that create an acidic cloud that dissolves any unshielded enemies, or burns away kinetic barriers and armor while slowing down their targets. They can also heal any tissue damage, repair armor and restore their barriers with a wave of a hand. However, to use their powers requires several seconds without being interrupted by any kind of attack, and a thirty-second cools down period, obviously time not always available during battle. Due to the immense power requirement and the time needed to generate that power, sorcerers are vulnerable, and their healing spell is generally only performed on the injured elite Cerberus troops at the brink of death. Sorcerers wear light armor and have magical enhance kinetic barriers.

Saboteurs: See a gleam of black and yellow just before an explosion, then it is very likely that one has been hit by a Cerberus Saboteur. Saboteurs are specialized soldiers with cloaking devices, that they use to set-up proximity mines and trap their opponents. In combat, saboteurs are known to hack into enemy’s communication or overheat their guns while using grenades against a large number of enemies and an Arc Projector against vehicles and elite enemy soldiers. Finding a saboteur in battle means explosions and deaths, even if most of them are bystanders. Saboteurs have kinetic barriers, and an M-13 Raptor to take down targets.

Vigilante: The frontline mages of a squad, vigilantes, are powerful physic knights that use their combined spiritual and elemental powers to take down their targets. From afar, vigilantes use a frozen spirit arrow attack on a single target or a larger exploding plasma fireball on group targets. When up-close, a vigilante can use an electric based water attack before sending targets flying way to their deaths with a wind/telekinesis push. Vigilantes have magical enhanced kinetic barriers and use an M-95 Mattock rifle in combat. [Spells: Frozen spirit arrow (ice and spirit arrow) and Plasma fireball (walking bomb and fireball)]

Cerberus: Grand, Air, and Space Vehicles

When the Confederation Navy was forming, no one took more advantage of it more than Cerberus. As the Confederation Alliance of Worlds began retiring several of the older class of ships too expensive to upgrade, like dreadnaughts, were often sold to militia forces or collectors, usually after all pieces of tech was stripped from the hull. Cerberus was able to acquire several of these different hulls to be used as the initial fleet of Cerberus, which included four Kilimanjaro class dreadnaughts. They then used their connections with various ligate companies to acquire the schematics and upgrades of Confederation Navy and began to build and upgrade their fleet using isolated shipyards.

Cerberus now has an estimated fleet of over one hundred ships, mostly Human System Alliance design with a few others used for pirate raids or science ships. Below is a list of known class of vessels.

Ships:

Atlas Mark II

M-080 Truck

M-35B Mako

M-44B Hammerhead

UT-47 Kodiak class troop shuttlecrafts

F-72 Phoenix class attack fighter

A-61A class gunships

Cerberus Advance Attack Fighters: Cerberus latest fighters that are designed for long-range raids and power attacks

Terran class attack frigate

Fair Child class frigate: used mainly by the Science Division with Cerberus as science vessels.

Genesis class heavy attack frigate

Spectre class attack frigate (only one)

Moscow class cruiser: long body ship with four engineers attached to triangle shape fins on each side of the vessel

New York class heavy cruiser: a bulkier version of the Moscow class cruiser

Kilimanjaro class dreadnaught (4): a bulkier version of the New York class heavy cruiser

Mercenary Band: The Black Kahunas

An elcor mercenary band found in the Attican Traverse, the Black Kahunas was founded by former elcor military who were dishonorably discharged from the Elcor Military for extensive violence and no adherence to friend and foe targets. After five years of prison time, these members formed a mercenary group with likeminded elcor who believe that they must show strength above all else to be taken seriously. Using equipment acquired or rebuilt from the Elcor Military, the Black Kahunas have undertaken many missions were their clients do not care about collateral damage as long as they get the mission done. Standard equipment is a VI controlled rocket launcher and machine guns attached to their heavy armor that has strong kinetic barriers.


	4. Darkspawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Reader: Albert

Darkspawn Classification

Arachnoid: The mutant forms of the batarians, arachnoids are average darkspawn that have become a significant presence in the horde since Saren introduced captured batarians to the darkspawn. Each Arachnoid is a mutant with four arms that can carry two shotgun, four pistols or four melee weapons. Combined with the eight legs on their body allows them enhanced maneuverability while their eight eyes allow them to see in almost three hundred and sixty degrees, making them very difficult to beat in close range combat. Though possible if the person is faster or stronger than the darkspawn, able to attack in a rapid zigzag pattern or the person is able to blind them with any source of light. However if possible, it is still recommended that arachnoids be taken down at long range. Batarian special units are slavers (alpha for arachnoid with tech attacks).

Avian: The aerial support units of the darkspawn, avians are a genetic mutation of the turians with feathers on pterodactyl-like wings, a beak with teeth, and feet with claws. Avians often fly in a pack formation of six to twelve individuals, and when they attack, they give off a high screech before swopping down to kill people. Their natural silicon armored skin gives them light protection against gunfire, but not enough since they rarely ware armor while in flight. Confederation forces recommend that when engaging the avians that it is best to force them to the ground or keep them flying with constant fire while picking them off, especially for mage type avians as they can use death from above spells. Avian special units can be a master flyer (alpha for avians), techs or mages.

Basher: The mutated versions of the elcor, bashers are the slowest and toughest of the horde with their natural thick armor and heavy bodies. While too slow to take down fast moving targets, bashers are often used to take down buildings, or slow moving/parked vehicles. Darkspawn are also known to put cannons on top of bashers and platforms to carry a few darkspawn on their back to act as living tanks that can regenerate wounds they receive. Confederate forces recommend heavy ordinance or any form of ground or air vehicle to take down a basher. Basher special units constitute a massive basher (heavily armed and shielded bashers).

Chameleon: When people begin to disappear during a darkspawn invasion, it is probably because of the shrieks or the chameleons. Chameleons are mutated versions of the drell that have enhanced their natural chameleon ability to the point that it would match the most advanced cloaking technology. Along with their dinosaur-like head, claws and expert skill as sharpshooters, they are the best assassins in the horde. Confederation forces recommend caution when engaging a darkspawn horde because of cloaked chameleons, especially those with biotics. Chameleon special units can be master assassins (alpha for chameleons) and biotics.

Digger: Created from the mutated DNA of vorchas, diggers are dark, worm-like creatures with several layers of teeth that can dig/bite through anything, including metal. Alone or in small numbers, they act as ambushers, popping from the ground when a meal is nearby. In large numbers, they act as a swarm, overwhelming even tanks as they munch on their target. It is fortunate that they are not quite during an attack and their bodies extremely soft. It is recommended to use a widespread shotgun or machine gun to wipe out a single or large number of diggers at once. Swarms of the creatures are to be avoided if possible. Diggers have no special units.

Goblin: The small and technologically advanced groups of the darkspawn horde, goblins are born from the human DNA with the dwarf gene. Resembling short, green men, goblins can hack into systems and can turn ships, vehicles, mechs, and weapon turrets against their masters. Many geth, human and quarian personal were killed by their technology turned against them thanks to the goblins. The goblins come in a wide variety of mages, biotics, tech, and soldier classes. The Confederation recognized goblins as priority targets due to their hacking ability. Goblins special units can be a master hacker (alpha goblins), biotics, mages, and assassins (sniper).

Grunt: Mutated versions of humans, grunts are the most numerous members and backbone of the horde. Resembling hairless humans, with grey skin and fang-like teeth, grunts are the most diverse with the range of skills from biotic and mages to tech experts and soldiers. In addition, alpha grunts also often act as the sergeant in the darkspawn horde, regardless what sub-type they are. To see a grunt is the knowledge that there a dozen more waiting to kill you. The Confederation force has marked alpha grunts as a priority target. Grunt special units can be alphas, biotics, mages, and techs.

Ogre: Ogres the living tank mutated from qunari. With its massive size, massive arms and large horns, they are questionable one of the strongest creatures in the horde, often used to kill whole squads or act as living siege machines with their monstrous strength and heavy weapons that only they can carry. In combat, Confederation forces recommend that when engaging ogres that it is best to attack from a distance with heavy ordnance, or with armored vehicles. Ogre special units can be massive ogre (heavily armed and shielded ogre).

Snapper: Within the darkspawn horde, snapper is the most dangerous and the most uncommon of the horde. Created from the mutation of Krogan’s DNA, snappers are strong, hulking creatures whose beak can bite through armor, making them tank killers. On the defensive, the snapper will roll-up into a large shell that is hard as a diamond. Confederation forces recommend that when attacking a snapper that it is best to force it into its shell before flipping it over and striking its soft underbelly to cause enough damage to prevent the snapper from regenerating its wounds. Whole armies often collect the shells to study, and it is rumored that the Confederation has used the snappers own shell to discover a cheaper way to manufacture Solaris armor. Snapper special units can be massive snapper (heavily armed and shielded snapper).

Shriek: Shrieks are the fast-moving assassin units of the darkspawn created from a species closely related to humans, elves. They are capable assassins with their ability to hide in the shadows easily, their deadly spikes protruding out of their hands and their natural marksman’s skill. They are also part of the reason that people begin to disappear behind the lines during a darkspawn invasion. Confederation forces recommend caution about the shadows during an attack. Shriek special units can be master assassins (alpha for shrieks), mages and biotics.

Stinger: Stingers are aquatic and land-based jellyfish mutated from hanar. Slow on land, stingers often sit to wait for their victims before they use their huge numbers of their extremely toxic nematocysts (stingers) lining their long tentacles to kill a person with one touch. In the water, their exceptional speed makes them difficult to hit and formable indeed. It is recommended that it is best to engage stingers one at a time on land where they have more difficulty moving.

Vrog: Vrogs is the mutated form of the salarian that resembled amphibian-like darkspawn foot soldiers. They use their suction cup hands and feet to climb over all kinds of obstacles. Also like frogs, they are strong swimmers, and like salarians, they are technologically advanced. Like goblins, they are known to be hackers as they have turned ships, vehicles, and weapon turrets against their users. Also like goblins, they are priority targets due to their hacking abilities. They are easier to kill then goblins, but they are more numerous as well. Vrogs special units can be a master hacker (alpha shriek) and assassin (sniper).

War Dogs: While their quarians immunity ensures they do not survive the transformation process into broodmothers, it does not stop darkspawn from creating a unit from the DNA of the quarians. War dogs are the darkspawn that resemble a cross between a black wolf and a quarian. With their ferrous teeth and high speed, they are a deadly opponent to face, especially when they stand on two feet and pull out a rifle to fire on unsuspecting targets. War dog special units can be war hound (alpha for war dogs) and techs.

Darkspawn Equipment

In the first galactic encounter, darkspawn were equipped with weapons and armor that were similar to those used in Earth’s Dark Ages and the early Renaissance era. This lack of technological progress left them with a clear disadvantage when facing an opponent with modern weapons, but they more than made up for their disadvantage with their sheer numbers that overwhelmed their more advanced foes. As the war progressed, they began to use weapons and techniques stolen from the dead and heavily modified to fit their needs. Given their unique technical skills, it can be assumed that they were able to replicate the manufacturing procedure for any new weapons they encountered.

The assumption proved to be correct when the darkspawn reappeared with advanced technology under the rogue SPECTRE Saren Arterius. They were able to modify new technology in such a way as to make it alien to Council and Confederate forces, as the technology was partially organic and synthetic. For instance, darkspawn’s armor is organic, providing protection and having regenerative properties to restore darkspawn health, making it much harder to kill them. In addition, their weapons themselves have organic properties, and elite units (alphas, mages, and biotics) are equipped with kinetic barriers. Only one species has similar technology, and that is the Collectors, a reclusive species that most assumed to be a myth. It is a question if the Collectors traded their technology to the darkspawn, it was stolen, or for that matter, if the technology is Collector in origin. Wherever they got their technology, it is impressive and an extreme menace to current military forces in the galaxy.

Darkspawn: Galactic Repercussions

During and after the Darkspawn War, an incompressible and reasonable fear began to spread throughout the galaxy. A concern that grew when it was pointed out that if the darkspawn could create portals to hit the human homeworld, they could also possibly hit any other world. In combination with the X-chromes disease virus, many saw the darkspawn as the greatest nightmare that any race would ever face. To placate that fear, the Citadel Council and by extension, the Batarian Hegemony, the Confederation Alliance of Worlds and the pirate heaven Omega, significantly improved their quarantine procedures and increased their military.

Most military forces had increased their numbers by 30-40%, with a few going further to 50-80%. The Turians had even built 14 more dreadnaughts, all Condor Class, while the asari had built two Destiny Ascension class Dreadnaughts instead of the one that was originally planned. There were also extreme plans put in place by the asari, batarians, and turians to ensure that should the darkspawn reappear. Plans that include bombarding barren worlds into oblivion should the horde appear on the planet, or for colonized planets, nuking them with the civilian population still in place. Plans most commanders are expected to follow, even if it had been thirty years since the darkspawn had last been spotted.


	5. Governments and Galactic Policies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Reader: Albert

Confederation Alliance of Words

The Confederation Alliance of Worlds is a union between the Human System Alliance, the Geth Collective, the Krogan Clan Alliance, and the Quarian Conclave formed after the Darkspawn War. It was initially given its name when it was going to be a joint government similar to the Citadel Council, with a few fundamental differences. However, it soon became apparent that it was not possible with how dependent each member became to each other and quickly formed more into a centralized federation with a single military force rather than a confederate alliance of government homeworlds. A government that unlike the Citadel has all four races have equal representation, with more freedom on their local governmental structure, trade restriction, number of laws, and severity of said laws. As opposed to the Council aligned government with no single military force, three of their members are the leaders of the Citadel, and they put forth a lot of restriction on those that submit to an embassy on the Citadel.

In addition, compared to the Citadel, the Confederation have fewer galactic laws enforced by the Confederation forces, especially in outer space. Mainly that slavery is outlawed, weapons of mass destruction are not permitted to be used on the garden worlds, and the smuggling/selling of top of the line military grade hardware is prohibited. Along with a law, a prime directive is in effect that states that the Confederation government cannot interfere in a people’s culture and that everyone must leave alone civilizations that are pre-FTL. These general laws, combined with more liberal laws on genetic researched and AIs ensures that the Confederation remains separate from the Citadel Council.

However, despite their independent nature, many treat the Confederation’s government as though they are members of the Citadel Council, instead of a separate allied force. Something the Confederation cannot disprove because the Confederation does not have the political pull or the military power to ignore most of the Council’s decrees. Recently that is changing as the Confederates builds-up their military, along with earning some goodwill in their protection on trade agreements. It also did not hurt that they have destroyed more pirate and slaver operations in the last twenty years than the Council has done in the last thousand plus years. However, it is still undetermined if the Council will absorb the Confederation, or the Confederation will be the dominant force in the galaxy. The current president of the Confederation is Shala’Raan vas Rannoch, a quarian.

Flag: Circle with four flashing stars in a starry night background, with an olive branch wrapped around with a small symbol of each government member at each side of the circle.

Confederation Navy: a delta with a circular orbit around the delta

Confederation Alliance of Worlds: AIs

Before the geth became a founding member of the Confederation Alliance of Worlds, research into Artificial Intelligence was strictly prohibited. The Citadel Council heavily enforced laws that made it illegal to create AIs to the point that they exiled the quarians for accidentally creating the geth. In fact, only a few companies like Synthetic Insight were allowed to research AIs to make peace with the newly created geth or to destroy any AIs they encounter. It was a galaxy policy built out of fear that only changed when the geth were discovered to be a reasonably peaceful race and were given sentient rights within Confederation space. Afterward, there was a shift as some worlds began to research AIs.

While the Council still outlaws the making of AIs, the Confederation put a significant amount of funding into AI research for two reasons. The first was to improve Geth Collective software to create a truly synthetic life form without relying on nearby platforms to become sentient on their own. The second reason is to develop new AIs to help Fleet operations, First Battalion infiltration or aid the Confederation in a position of their choice. So far, none of the AIs had turned them down when given an opportunity to customize their programming and take funds to spend on items or upgrades. Currently, there are over 40 synthetics, AIs outside of the Geth in Confederation space, like Eliza, Beta, Data, Beowulf, Roland, and Cortona, and the numbers are growing by the day as an open secret. Especially as of 2182 CE when Data was given a seat in the Confederation Senate to represent synthetics outside of the Geth.

Confederation Alliance of Worlds: Drop Off Locations

When the geth joined the Confederation, they revealed a startling discovery about the dangers of mass effect technology. Whenever an element zero drive core was discharged, the mass of dark energy released did not disperse as soon as it was released. In fact, the energy collected over high gravity objects like a star or black hole. For a star, the damage was noticeable in the fact that prolonged exposure to dark energy slowly choked a star to death, like the solar system Haestorm as the geth used Haestorm as a discharge zone for three hundred years. It had accelerated what would have taken five to fifteen thousand years to accomplish, showing that the threat was real. For a black hole, the effects are unknown, but it is theorized that it would increase in size over time, but no one as of yet was willing to test out that theory.

Seeing the effects, the Confederation created and directed both civilian and military ships to use a dedicated drop zone to discharge the core into dead star systems. This would hopefully limit the amount of damage to star systems outside unimportant systems. In addition, research was conducted on Noveria and several other planets to develop ways to purify/limit dark energy damage. Confederation scientists also have begun working on cleaner technology alternatives for their ships. The Citadel Council has yet to address anything about the problems with dark energy.

Confederation Alliance of Worlds: Government Branches

(X) Confederation Colonial Affairs or CCA are committees run mostly by civilians to determine the fate of celestial bodies like rich asteroids, comets, moons, and even whole planets discovered by the CEF, CRF or the Navy itself. These celestial bodies are categorized into the seven different types listed below. Although their classification may change when new information is found, the most critical factor was whether the planet could be colonized or was too dangerous to colonize outside of temporary operations.

Primary Worlds are celestial bodies that can support life or can be terraformed to support life. These worlds are often colonized immediately by an expedition force, or they are open for bids from companies to colonize in return for profits produced by their colonized planets, either by the company holding or by selling the land to others. Primary Worlds also serve a secondary purpose from simple operations like framing, mining, refinery and manufacturing to complex operations such as excavation/archeology, research, scientific discovery, trade centers, and shipyards. This makes them the most valuable worlds in Confederation space and often the most protected outside of the homeworlds of Confederation’s members.

Secondary Worlds are inhabitable celestial bodies that are not going to be terraformed, but are still valuable either for mining or to conduct research/excavation on the planet. Most of these worlds are barren rocks or gas giants and often are bided to companies for their exploitation, with a few exceptions like the presence of natural resources needed by the military, or a strategic location for bases/shipyards and such. These worlds can also change over time into Primary Worlds if they had supported life for a long time and will continue to be a commerce center. An example is a moon over Earth, Luna could be considered a Secondary World, but it is classified as a Primary World due to a sizeable number of permanent bio-domes on the surface, and the fact that a large population had lived on Luna for a long time.

Recon Worlds are celestial bodies given to the CRF and Navy to station their patrol forces on or build listening outposts to act as an early warning system or spy on hostile territory. They are mostly worlds of little value that are at the edge of Confederation Space. Recently, the Navy has been searching for asteroids to build bases near Mass Relays to be made into Recon Worlds but hasn’t established any more bases near their more secure colonies.

Diplomatic Worlds are celestial bodies given to the Diplomatic Core to established treaties and trade with various governments outside of the Confederation or made into neutral worlds on which to conduct negotiations. They are often worlds that the Confederation does not want to routinely provide military protection or celesta bodies that are more suitable for other species and can be traded for worlds of equal, if not a higher value to the Confederation.

Protectorate Worlds are an independent celestial body that the Confederation protects with their military, despite them not being members of the Confederation. Often, they are space-faring worlds in the Attican Traverse that are not part of the Council but allow the Confederation to send a small fleet to protect or patrol their space in exchange for payment or a small percentage of resources they export. They are also assisted by the Confederation to develop or buy a defense system for their own protection.

Primitive Protectorate Worlds are independent celestial body belonging to species that have yet to achieve spaceflight, be developed enough to be considered sentient, and needs to be protected to prevent uplifting that would be detrimental to a species development, like the krogans. Once a world is established, the entire system is quarantined, or the whole cluster if a Mass Relay is found within the system. The Confederation also sends a small patrol to ensure these worlds are left alone until they are advanced enough for first contact to be initiated.

Non-Critical Worlds are celestial bodies that have no standing value. They are not cost-effective to mine, have a poor amount of resources, or their resources are depleted. Often, they are given to the military and companies to test dangerous products, or to be used as target practice. These include mostly asteroids and comets, but it also may include a few poor worlds.

(X) Confederation Defense Affairs or CDA is a committee run mostly by military personnel that is in charge of inspecting, upgrading or establishing a defense grid on celestial bodies within a fixed budget of resources, manpower, and funds. They often used these funds to create a defense network for Confederation homeworlds, populated colony worlds, and various military installations, with a large margin of success against most attackers. However, that is only with worlds they considered important. Other worlds get minimal help, often depending on military patrols, secrecy, outsourcing or having the companies that own the celestial body to provide protection. This has earned the CDA some criticism for not protecting all of their holdings, but few can fault the CDA for not providing the best protection to worlds they planned to temporally control or that the companies themselves have resources to protect. The CDA also routinely funds companies to build new defenses or have CDA’s own R&D core develop new technology or upgrade existing ones like defense grids, ground cannons, defense satellites and planetary shield generators for the marginal worlds. Many worlds owe their protection to the CDA, even if they are one of the first blamed, along with the Navy and CRF, if something bad happens.

(X) Confederation Diplomatic Core is a small branch dedicated to keeping the peace between governments outside and within the Confederation. They are highly trained individuals taught in a variety of cultures so they can negotiate with any group at a moment’s notice. They also keep extensive records of every treaty made between species, even if they expired, and have knowledge of laws to draw upon to help with their negotiation. They are known as some of the best negotiators, even among the asari. Even if they had little chance to show off such skills due to the various conflicts the Confederation recently have been involved including conflicts with Batarian back slavers and pirates.

(X) Confederation Exploration Forces or CEF is a portion of the Navy dedicated to one job only, the continuous exploration of worlds and clusters for the Confederation. Composed of mostly heavy cruisers and cruisers, the CEF travel in packs or alone, to explore new territory and seek out new life, sometimes under extreme risk. Such as making the first contact with a new civilization or encounters a dangerous group hiding from the Citadel and Confederation, like pirates, slavers, and cults. Due to the elevated risks, the CEF only picks the best officers and personal for such missions, whether they are civilian or military. They even allow families to travel with them for trips that could take months, if not years to complete. Many officers often hope to be picked for CEF exploring jobs, as a career in the CEF is often a fast track to higher ranks or various high positions in the Confederation due to the amount of experience they obtain while serving the CEF.

(X) Confederation Intelligence Division or CID is the intelligence division of the Confederation military that rivals even the Salarian’s STG, and usually operates either in space or on planets not part of the Confederation. Split into two sub-branches, one dedicated to field agents and the other cyber warfare, the CID is an expert in gathering information. Few things happening around the Confederation are unknown to the CID, and they like it that way. Only once did the CID fail in its mission and that was at the battle for Torfan. An intelligence failure they hope to never repeat as they aim to be the best intelligence division in the galaxy.

(X) Confederation Navy Investigation Service or CNIS is the criminal investigation branch of the Confederation, in charge of investigating crimes of military personnel, government officials, and their immediate families. From simple crimes like smuggling, stealing and embezzling to major crimes like murder, rape and war crimes, the CNIS is a well-funded group that tries to be as unbiased as possible in fulfilling their mission. They are also required to share any information with a local enforcement agency, even if it does not pertain to either the local or CNIS cases. This creates a unique relationship between the CNIS and various other law enforcement. The CNIS are in a love-hate relationship with the Citadel’s police force, CSEC on the Citadel. Rank within the CNIS is CSI, Officer, Agent, Special Agent, Senior Special Agent, Deputy Director, and Director.

(X) Confederation Navy is the main military branch within the Confederation from which all other military branches were derived. From simple soldiers and servicemen to the brightest engineers, scientist, and strategist, they are a powerful force dedicated to the defense of the Confederation with many branches like the marine core, fighter core, R&D, medical core, and so on. It also makes up the largest number of personnel spread throughout the various fleets, both small and large, and all the army garrisons on planets they are sworn to protect.

(X) Confederation Recon Forces or CRF is a division in charge of an early warning system for the Confederation, as well as scouting out new or potentially hazardous systems under their control, including new systems discovered by the CEF. They also scout out all deadly enemies and report their activities. An important job, but one that many feel that either serves as a start of a career or the end of one as they rarely ever engage an enemy force since their fleet is primarily made up of frigates. However, without the CRF, the Confederation would be vulnerable to all kind of attacks. The fact that that is not said enough for the thankless job of being a CRF.

(X) First Battalion is an elite agency in charge of the safety of the Confederation Alliance of Worlds. Operating in squads and with their own ships, the First Battalion are elite personal considered the best, even if they are not from the military or were even born in the Confederation. With dedication and training, the First Battalion is the first to fight in a major campaign. As well as the force the Confederation turns to for complete missions that even Special Forces cannot complete. Either due to the danger of the mission or the political situation present, they are able to complete all missions with high efficiency.

However, unlike their SPECTRE cousins that work for the Citadel Council, the First Battalion does not work alone as they work in squads, and more importantly, they do not have full autonomy. In fact, there are many things that they are restricted from doing including what critical missions they can choose. Such as where they can operate outside Confederation space, and who they are allowed to kill other than in self-defense or rooting out criminals. These limitations keep the First Battalion in line while allowing the Confederation citizens to feel safe at night knowing they are out there saving lives. The First Battalion has a good working relationship with other investigating/intelligent services and with most SPECTREs and STG from the Council.

(X) Special Forces or N1-N7s is a branch derived from the Human System Alliance, dedicated to the training of elite soldiers/officers in the Confederation and is spread-out in every branch within the Confederation military. To be considered for the N branch is an honor, and to finish their harsh training designed for their species leaves them the reputation of being an N1 while given the option to advance in rank. For the N2-N6, advancement comes with further training or merit, often achieved after some extraordinary action during a mission. For the N7s, the elite of all elites, they can only be nominated from the Ns school after accomplishing a challenging mission in an ‘admirable and effective fashion,’ and surviving the harshest training possible. Once they pass their training, they are officially N7, the best of the best, and often become top officers within the First Battalion.

Confederation Alliance of Worlds: Diplomatic Relationship

Citadel Space: Relationship between the two major powers as a whole can be considered good. Both sides are trading partners with regards to resources and technology, and have formed a defensive military alliance.

Asari Republic and client government the Elcor Courts of Dekuuna: With the Confederation, the Asari Republic are powerful trade partners with the closest relationship compare to the rest of the Council. However, it is strained, as the Asari view the Confederation as wayward subordinates the Asari have to bring back into the fold using their superior economy and influence. While the Confederation species want to remain independent at the moment. Combined with numerous conspiracies, such as both sides tried to steal each other’s more advanced technology, the Confederation is taking over the galaxy, and the asari are trying to reproduce with mages to have asari mages have caused their relationship to strain even further. Still, the relationship is considered to be fair and friendly.

Batarian Hegemony: Due to constant competition between the Batarians and CAW for territory, along with the Batarians funding continued pirate attacks on Confederation worlds, relationships between the Confederation and Batarians are considered hostile with almost no chance of improving.

Hanar Illuminated Primacy and client race the drell: While initially strong, the relationship between the Confederation and Hanar have waned over the years since the Hanar seems more interested in staying with the Citadel Council and remaining neutral on many issues while trading with hostile forces like the Batarians. In addition, the Confederation are concerned about their relationship with the drell as some feel the species has been groomed to servitude to the Hanar, creating numerous conspiracy theories abound that the Hanar not telling them the whole truth about the destruction of the drell homeworld, Rakhana. The Confederation still has a friendly relationship with the Hanar even if they are only in trade deals.

Krogans outside the Confederation and vorchas: It is assumed that they at best criminals and at worst, terrorists due to a few krogan factions constant attacks on the Krogan Clan Alliance.

Salarian Union: the relationship between the Confederation and the Salarians is good, though they do not trust each other as both sides have been spying on each other since the Confederation was formed. Some salarians are vocally hostile about the Genofertilization and the krogans once again entering galactic politics. While the krogans have not forgiven them for the Genophage and be labeled as savage brutes by the salarians.

Terminus Systems: The relationship can be hostile or friendly depending on which planet or warlord the Confederation contacts. Most relationships are friendly since the Terminus welcomes trade, especially in essential goods and necessities. Disagreements can occur when weapons or illegal drugs are offered as a trade.

Turian Hierarchy and client government the Volus Vol Protectorate: The relationship between the Confederation and the Turians can be considered cold with open arms in trade. A few individuals on both sides are downright hostile since the Turians have come into conflict at least once with each member of the Confederation, and many turians instinctively size up the other four races. In general, the turians believe either the Council or the Confederation will inevitably be absorbed into one another. Whether it is peacefully or violently remains to be seen, thus creating a frosty relationship.

SPECTREs: Confederation forces have a good, though the frustrating relationship with SPECTRE since their operatives are not restricted in Council space, and the Confederation does hold them accountable in their space. SPECTRE usually works well with the First Battalion and CID in joint operations.

Confederation Alliance of Worlds: Military Doctrine

Due to the vast amount of territory that the Confederation controls, the Confederation military forces adopted a Human System Alliance Doctrine with a few modifications to handle their massive military that includes 8% of all humans, 12% of all quarians, 31% of all krogans and 48% of the geth. As a whole, the Confederation’s forces emphasize mobility and individual autonomy rather than command and display. Confederation forces also depend upon a strong support structure. Such as artillery, air/space control, VIs and AIs computers, drones, specialized personnel (biotics, mages, demolition, medics, and techs), heavy weapons, vehicles, electronic warfare, and gene therapy to turn the tide of battle in both attack and defense.

On a defensive role, they have placed in each densely populated cluster at least one to three patrol fleets of various sizes to intercept any invasion force or to act as an emergency response force within a cluster. On the borders between clusters or enemy territories, there are multiple CRF fleets made up of mostly by frigates that can easily escape the enemy to warn the Confederation of any invasion/attack. Combined with numerous outpost designs as an early warning system, it provides the fleet with a reasonable chance to scramble their forces and time for the planets within a cluster to put up a stiff defense.

When defending planets with a population of 1,600 or higher, they established a marine force one-twentieth of the planet’s population, a number of defense bunkers/planetary cannons, planetary shield generators for the major cities, various assault vehicles, and a militia/police force trained in military tactics. In orbit, there is a defense force that consists of a space station of various size/design, along with a planetary defense fleet that is light (1,600-24,000), standard (24,000-80,000) or heavy (80,000+). Along with a planetary defense system, defense satellites, and the rapid response of at least one patrol fleet ensured that they had enough firepower to dispatch any kind of standard attack or to keep a large invasion force at bay until reinforcements arrive.

On the ground, recon drones and simple geth units are sent to scout out the enemy and transmit the information back to a Geth Server Hub. Once the scouts inform their allies of the expected opposition, the data is also sent to the fleet for advisement. From there, the marines can fight an entrenchment battle to protect the civilian population and keep the enemy distracted until reinforcements arrive in the form of a Confederation Fleet. Although critics have called it a reckless strategy after the successful raid on the colony world Mindoir, the policy has earned them far more victories than defeats.

When on the offensive, the Confederation’s first tactic is to attack enemy supply lines and logistics, headquarters and their support fleet to cripple the enemy force using its attack fleets. Tactics included but are not limited to ambushes, raids, planetary occupation, targeting of vital systems (from weapons and engineers to reactors), and electronic warfare. However, unlike the Human System Alliance that was content to just crippling their enemy, the Confederation will destroy non-vital enemy ships/planets once their enemy forces have been severally damaged or drained through Confederation hit and run tactics. Combined with a more powerful fleet, Confederation forces are considered so powerful that only the Turians, Asari, and Salarians could possibly beat them on a fleet-by-fleet confrontation.

Confederation fleets mentioned below consist of an enormous complement of ships with enough firepower to give even the greatest military forces pause before tackling such a fleet. The first three are used to defend clusters that include the species homeworld, while others are stationed over crucial mass relay nexus to provide a quick response to any world under attack or to attack an enemy force. Very few military forces in the galaxy could withstand such assault. Ten dreadnaughts from the Krogans are currently awaiting approval from the Council to remilitarize the Krogans to be completed. Along with several other ships are under construction and expected to be completed within one sol solar year.

Standard Fleet Sizes in 2183 by current numbers and intended numbers next year:

1st to 3rd Fleet: 4x Dreadnaughts, 5x Carriers, 9x Heavy Cruisers, 18x Cruisers, 18x Heavy Frigates and 36x Frigates (90)

4th to 6th Fleet: 3(1)x Dreadnaughts, 4x Carriers, 8x Heavy Cruisers, 16x Cruisers, 16x Heavy Frigates, and 32x Frigates (79-80)

7th to 9th: 3x Dreadnaughts, 3x Carriers, 6x Heavy Cruisers, 12x Cruisers, 12x Heavy Frigates and 24x Frigates (60)

10th to 12th Fleet: 2(1)x Dreadnaughts, 3x Carriers, 6x Heavy Cruisers, 10(2)x Cruisers, 10(2)x Heavy Frigates and 21(3)x Frigates (52-60)

13th to 14th Fleet: 1(1)x Dreadnaughts, 2x Carriers, 4x Heavy Cruisers, 8x Cruisers, 8x Heavy Frigates and 16x Frigates (39-40)

15th to 16th Fleet: 1(1)x Dreadnaughts, 1(1)x Carriers, 3(1)x Heavy Cruisers, 7(1)x Cruisers, 7(1)x Heavy Frigates and 11(5)x Frigates (31-40)

Standard Fleet Sizes in 2185 by current numbers and intended numbers next year:

1st to 3rd Fleet: 4x Dreadnaughts, 5x Carriers, 9x Heavy Cruisers, 18x Cruisers, 18x Heavy Frigates and 36x Frigates (90)

4th to 6th Fleet: 4x Dreadnaughts, 4x Carriers, 8x Heavy Cruisers, 16x Cruisers, 16x Heavy Frigates, and 32x Frigates (80)

7th to 12th Fleet: 3x Dreadnaughts, 3x Carriers, 6x Heavy Cruisers, 12x Cruisers, 12x Heavy Frigates and 24x Frigates (60)

13th to 16th Fleet: 2(1)x Dreadnaughts, 2(1)x Carriers, 4(2)x Heavy Cruisers, 8(4)x Cruisers, 8(4)x Heavy Frigates and 16(8)x Frigates (60-40)

17th to 18th Fleet: 0(2)x Dreadnaughts, 1(1)x Carriers, 2(1)x Heavy Cruisers, 5(3)x Cruisers, 5(3)x Heavy Frigates and 7(5)x Frigates (20-40)

Other Fleets:

Reserve Assault Fleet: 1x Carrier/Heavy Cruiser, 2x Cruisers, 2-4x Heavy Frigates and 4-8x Frigates (9-15)

Lead Patrol Fleet: 1x Heavy Cruiser plus Standard Patrol Fleet

Standard Patrol Fleet: 2x Cruisers, 4x Heavy Frigates and 8x Frigates (14)

Light Patrol Fleet: 1x Cruiser, 2x Heavy Frigates and 4x Frigates (7)

Heavy Planetary Defense Forces: 2x Cruisers, 2x Heavy Frigates and 4x Frigates (8)

Standard Planetary Defense Fleet: 1x Cruiser, 2x Heavy Frigates and 4x Frigates (7)

Light Planetary Defense Fleet: 2-0x Heavy Frigates and 4x Frigates (6-4)

Exploration Fleet Ships: Heavy Cruisers and Cruisers

CRF: Cruiser (command ship), Heavy Frigates and Frigates

Confederation Alliance of the World: Military Ranks

The Confederation uses a modified version of the ranking system utilized by the Human System Alliance. Soldiers in their military are classified into rank-and-file enlisted personal, experienced non-commissioned officers (NCOs), and specially trained officers. Navy command structure is based on rank followed by ship class and a clear line of succession among commanders of equal rank and ship class. For ground forces (‘marines’), their ranks are even more clear-cut out of necessity. Losing men is expected and if bad luck happens and all the officers are killed, their units are still expected to fight, unlike a ship that is probably about to be destroyed if too many of its officers are killed.

The division between naval personnel and ground forces is small. Ground units are a specialized branch of the fleet, just as fighter squadrons are. In most cases, the naval officer has the power over ground forces commanders of equal and lower rank, for an army cannot survive without the support of their navy. However, a field commander can still override the orders of a commander of a lower rank. A necessity needed for Colonels, Brigadier Generals, and Generals that are in charge of a planet’s defense. As the higher the rank of the officer, the higher the population he is responsible for conquering or defending a world. However, they will never be able to override an Admiral in charge of a Confederation Fleet, and a Fleet Admiral that is in charge of the defense of large regions of Confederation Space (a dozen clusters).

Among the military officials, the Confederation separates the troops even further by designations on their uniforms and armor below the rank of captain. On the camouflage armor, it is on a stripe that is along their shoulder with a side insignia on the chest plate. On the black and white uniforms, it’s on the black pads around the wrist or on the shoulder pads of the dress uniformed or regular uniform (short or long sleeved). On the armor and military uniform for marines, it is red for soldiers, yellow for technicians, blue for biotics and green for mages. For naval only personal, their armor has a silver strip and the military uniform stripes are orange for engineers, white for doctors, brown for scientists, purple for pilots, and silver for communication personnel, navigators, and strategists.

In ascending order of responsibility, the ranks within the Confederation are:

ENLISTED

Serviceman 3rd Class/Private 1st, 2nd and 3rd Class (one triple dash line, one double dash line, one dash line)

Serviceman 2nd Class/Corporal 1st, 2nd and 3rd Class (two triple dash lines, two double dash lines, two dash lines)

Serviceman 1st Class/Sergeant 1st, 2nd and 3rd Class (three triple dash lines, three double dash lines, three dash lines)

NCOs

Service Chief (one V arrow)

Gunnery Chief (two V arrows)

Operations Chief (three V arrows)

OFFICERS

Ensign (one line)

Lieutenant 2nd Class (one line and a triple dash line)

Lieutenant 1st Class (two lines)

Lieutenant Commander (two lines and a triple dash line)

Commander (three lines)

Captain/Major (three gold lines)

Rear Admiral/Colonel (three gold lines and two silver triple dash lines)

Vice Admiral/Brigadier General (three gold lines and two silver lines)

Admiral/General (four gold lines and three silver tripe dash lines)

Fleet Admiral (four gold lines and three silver lines)

Grand Admiral (five gold lines and four silver lines)

Debate: Biotics Vs. Mages

Ever since humans had found out about dilithium crystals and elemental zero, and its side effects, an ongoing debate was happening on what was better, biotics or mages. Biotics for the manipulation of dark energy that causes superior telekinesis attacks, as well as unique ability mages, cannot duplicate like singularities and charge ability. While mages are known to manipulate energy the forces of nature. This in turned crates a rivalry that only increased as humanity made it to the galactic stage and several different species began to the way in the debate.

To the point that in 2159, there is an official Olympics on a galactic scale with races compete in sports where one third are dedicated between the rivalry while others are spread out to physical, biotic or mage sports. There are also official, and unofficial sports between biotics, mages and non-mages/biotics as more mages appear on the galactic stage.

Galactic Exploration Policy

After humanity’s introduction of the heavy cruiser, some species began designing their own versions as a military alternative, while others saw the same potential that the humans saw; that their heavy cruisers would be used for deep space exploration vessels under a new policy that the Citadel and the Confederation embraced. The new Galactic Exploration Policy was created after human’s first contact with the Council that stated that a heavy cruiser could scout out a nearby cluster and if deemed safe could activate the relay to connect with the other mass relays. Many flocked to the chance as the policy had tripled the amount of explored space to 3% in the last forty years, allowing an increase in the number of valuable resources they could collect, and the ability to create safe colonies away from dangerous territory like that in the Attican Traverse and the Terminus Systems. This policy mainly benefited the Confederation Alliance of Worlds and the Citadel Council.

Military Classifications

Biotics: Biotics are individuals that can manipulate dark energy. This power makes them a precious resource to have in an army. They are rare outside of the asari, as the development of a Biotic depends on elemental zero exposure for their creation. Even the most basic biotics are valuable as a partially trained biotic can lift their foes up, throw them around, biotic pulse to knock out kinetic barriers, and shear their opponents with a warp field. However, all biotics, even the asari, are trained for one of five different elite classes: adepts, biotic soldiers, disruptors, sentinels, and vanguards. Expected races for biotics are asari, batarians, drells, hanar, humans, krogans, and volus, while elcor, quarians, and turians are rare, and salarians are extremely rare.

(1) Adept: Adepts are advance biotics that is considered masters to none. They often use their abilities to weaken, shred or flinging enemies away using several different biotic techniques such as slam, shockwaves, or singularities to create gravity wells to throw their enemies around, and stasis to freeze a target in place. Adepts wear light armor, strong kinetic barriers, and carry up to two weapons.

(2) Biotic Soldiers: Biotic soldiers, also known as biotic commandoes are biotics trained for a preference for hand-to-hand combat and utilize both kinetic weapons and soldiers’ ability. They are extremely dangerous because in one moment they could stand and fight like any soldier, the next moment they are tearing apart enemy troops with their biotic powers. Because of their multi-talented skill, they are a valuable commodity, even if they are a bit difficult to train. Biotic soldiers wear medium armor, moderated kinetic barriers, and carry up to three weapons.

(3) Defenders: Defenders, also known as biotic supporters are advanced biotics trained for one purpose, to support the army with aerial biotic attacks and to create barriers. To have a defender is to have the field advantage, even if they are mistaken for adepts. The main difference is that they can create biotic dome barriers or deflect to deflect them for defense. While offensively, they can use Reave to soften and weaken targets, lash for individual targets, and flare to create a large area of destruction. Defenders wear light armor, strong kinetics barriers that can be enhanced, and carry up to two weapons.

(4) Sentinels: Considered a jack-of-all-trades, sentinels focus on the basics of both tech and biotic abilities except sabotage to be used to their maximum effect. One such special effect is an enhanced tech shield that is almost impossible to break, and if somehow is shattered, it creates a pulse that knocks people off their feet. They are also considered unique as they are trained to be the best tacticians as they have an understanding of both biotic and tech powers. Sentinels wear medium armor; have moderate to strong kinetic barriers (tech shield activated), and carry up to three weapons.

(5) Vanguards: Vanguards are advanced biotics that manipulates dark energy into a ‘charge’ to appear next to the enemy send out a nova blast to knock the enemy off their feet, or to shoot them at close range with a concussion shot or a charge shot. They are also the first to attack the enemy and the last to run away, making them the true vanguards of the army. Vanguards wear medium armor, moderate kinetic barriers, and carry up to three weapons.

Mages: Mages are rare individuals that can manipulate particles into various things thanks to exposure to dilithium crystals. Mages use this ability to control the elements and pure practical energy (spiritual, creation and entropy) at the tip of their fingers. They are also considered one of the most dangerous individuals in the galaxy as an un-implanted mage is more likely to be possessed than any other individual when near dilithium crystals. Mages fall into two implanted categories, psychic knights, and magicians, with three subcategories each. Expected races are elcor, elves, humans, qunari, and turians, while quarians, krogans, batarians, drells, and volus are rare, and hanar and salarians are extremely rare.

(1) Psychic Knights: Psychic knights are able to use their powers at close range. These mages can unleash primal, and particle/spiritual powers on their foes as well as have the ability to enhance their own kinetic barriers and physical abilities. To see a psychic knight is almost certain death for a foe, to the point that the turians actually thought that humans had gods among their people. They are also the most common of the mages and have a variety of skills as they can focus on primal, spiritual, or a combination of the two during battle. Psychic Knights wear medium armor, moderate to strong kinetic barriers (arcane shield activated), and carry up to three weapons. The list below includes the common powers posed by Knights, but which particular group of powers an individual has can be different for Knights of the same class.

Primal: Earth, fire, ice, lightning, liquid (water), wind, kinetic forces, and telekinesis

Mixed: fire, ice, lightning, wind, energy arrow (spirit arrows), kinetic forces, spiritual pressure (death spell), and telekinesis

Spiritual: fire, ice, anti-energy (anti-magic), energy arrow (spirit arrows), kinetic forces, spiritual pressure (death spell), and telekinesis

(2) Magicians: Magicians are not just illusionists, but also mages trained to be healers. They can focus support on creation, entropy energy or a combination of the two. Magicians are considered the most mystical as they can harm enemies internally, enhance allies, create particle barriers, and can manipulate living things like plants and animals to attack people. However, what makes them deadly and somewhat unpredictable is the demon they share with their body, which when summoned can be an unbeatable force of rage, hunger, sloth, desire or pride. Magicians wear light armor, strong kinetic barriers, and carry up to two weapons. The list below includes the common powers posed by Magicians, but which particular group of powers an individual has can be different for Magicians of the same class.

Creation: barriers, enhancement, glyphs, heal, plants, light summons, draining, poison

Mixed: heal, enhancement, glyphs, plants, draining, hex, poison, sleep

Entropy: heal, plants, dark summons, debilitation, draining, hex, poison, sleep

Soldiers: The most common military fighters in the galaxy, soldiers are the basic units of most armies in the galaxy. They are the ones who engage the enemy on the frontlines and are often trained or at least familiar with every kind of weapon a soldier might carry. They are also trained to fire concussive or charge shots to knock down or severely damage targets and are trained to self-induce adrenaline rush to either improve reaction times and speed or strength for powered melee attacks. However, while most soldiers are just riflemen with medium armor and moderate kinetic barriers, a few are trained into one of the five elite classes: berserker, combat medic, commandoes, demolitionist, and marksman. Expected races are batarians, elcor, elves, geth, humans, krogans, qunaris, salarians, and turians, while drell and quarians are rare.

(1) Berserker: Considered one of the most dangerous personnel on the battlefield. Berserkers are soldiers trained to use their rage to full effect to give them blood range to strike down their foes and rush enemy lines. Along with invulnerability to ignore any damage they may receive for a short time and the ability to regenerate health and quickly repair armor. To assign a berserker to the battlefield is to assure that their foes will be struck down without fear of repercussions. Berserkers wear heavy armor, weak kinetic barriers, and carry up to four weapons including a heavy weapon that can be used more than once.

(2) Combat Medic: Combat medics are frontline doctors whose job is to make sure a soldier survives to their next encounter. Often by immediately treating any kind of wound without medi-gel, and using counter agents for any type of physical ailment (from poison to burns) that a soldier receives. They can even perform surgery on the battlefield to save a man’s life and have no problem gunning down anyone who threatens their patients. Combat medics wear medium armor, moderate kinetic barriers, and carry up to three weapons.

(3) Commandos: Commandoes are the heavy troops of the army that carry heavy ordinance into battle and enough firepower to take down a whole squad of soldiers or even a tank. A squad of commandoes would be considered overkill for any kind of battle, especially as they have special shields (fortification) to keep them alive, can do more damage on identified weak-points unique or common, and modified weapons to increase fire rates and spread for a short time. Commanders wear heavy armor, weak to medium kinetic barriers (fortification activated), and carry up to four weapons including a heavy weapon that can be used more than once.

(4) Demolitionist: Demolitionists are soldiers that act as not only as frontline soldiers but also as ordinance experts that they set off to disarm foes during the heat of battle. They also carry several different types of grenades and mines to be used on targets depending on the circumstance and additional ammo they can give to squad mates. Expect a large number of explosions when you see this class in the field. Demolitionists wear heavy armor, weak kinetic barriers, and carry up to four weapons including a heavy weapon that can be used more than once.

(5) Marksmen: Marksmen are soldiers who were trained to hit a target with pinpoint accuracy. They are the type that can snipe a target from a distance one moment, and act as frontline soldiers the next. The combination of their ability to make every shot count and their skill at making most of their shots headshots, the marksman are very valuable soldiers. Especially, in a prolonged battle where every shot count, as marksman can do maximum critical damage quickly, and use advanced software to triangulate a bullet’s flight path or ricochet to hit multiple targets at once. Marksmen wear moderate armor, moderate kinetic barriers, and carry up to three weapons.

Technicians: Technicians, also known as techs, are highly talented personnel that uses special Omni-tools to shock/overload their opponents, burn (incinerate), freeze (cryo-blast) and sabotage weapons. To have a tech is to have a C-class hacker that can kill their foes with their Omni-tools. A tech is trained in one of five categories: combat engineer, combat scientist, infiltrator, illusionist, and tech soldier. Expected races are batarian, drell, hanar, human, geth, quarian, turian, and volus, while asari, elcor, krogans, and frontline volus are rare.

(1) Combat Engineers: While a standard engineer is a valuable resource to any fleet, a combat engineer is a godsend on the ground. Combat engineers are tech experts that often perform field repairs on failing tech. They are also great support as they can unleash combat drones, and a defense drones/ sentry turret. Some can even double as a hacker, able to break firewalls on unfriendly technology to hack VIs and AIs, and drain shields from their enemies for themselves and possibly their allies. Combat engineers wear light armor, strong kinetic barriers, and carry up to two weapons.

(2) Combat Scientists: Exploring or studying the galaxy is a dangerous place, especially when they are an unarmed scientist. Which is why some are trained in combat. Combat scientists are individuals that use their expertise and technical skills in combat situations. A scientist can stun one person with neural shocks or poison/corrode even AI targets. While also burning their target’s armor with acid and provide first aid in combat without a medi-gel to wounded to heal minor wounds. They have become a valuable cog in the exploration of new worlds and the military machine. Combat scientists wear light armor, strong kinetic barriers, and carry up to two weapons.

(3) Infiltrators: Infiltrators, also known as saboteurs are specialized soldiers with one purpose, infiltrate the enemy and sabotage their operations from the inside out using a tactical cloak that makes them invisible for a first strike. They are also trained to set-off mines and to cause the maximum amount of damage when sabotaging units. While using sniping rifles to kill/assassinate their targets with concussion shot and charge shot. Infiltrators wear medium armor, moderate kinetic barriers, and carry up to three weapons.

(4) Hypnotists: Hypnotists, also known as tech commandoes, are specialized tech experts that focus on the creation of special effects holograms to fool or confuse the enemy to either attack like life images or hide units in a holographic field for extra protection. Combined with their ability to enhance kinetic barriers with defense matrixes allows them to run across a Killzone without receiving a scratch. Though that is rare as their skills in trickery and deceit makes them the best spies and interrogators for any organization. Hypnotists wear medium armor, moderate to strong kinetic barriers (defense matrix activated), and carry up to three weapons.

(5) Tech Soldiers: Used heavily to influence military organizations, tech soldiers are highly skilled sharpshooters trained to use tech and soldiers’ abilities in combat. From doing simple repairs/hacking to taking down targets, tech soldiers use a variety of skills that are derived from tech and soldiers. Because of this, they are a valuable commodity for their multipurpose role, even if they are a bit difficult to train. Tech solders wear medium armor; moderated kinetic barriers, and carry up to three weapons.

Krogan Clan Alliance

Formed during the Dark Spawn War, the Krogan Clan Alliance was established by Urdnot, Wrex, and his allies as the start of the unification of the Krogan Clans after the Krogan Rebellions. Led by a Supreme Commander decided by the Right of Succession, the Krogan Clan Alliance is the lead force for the galaxy. While it does not represent every clan, it does hold the majority and tries to unite the others under its banner using diplomacy if possible but force on those that attack Clan members. The Citadel Council keeps a close eye on the Krogan government that is one of the founding members of the Confederation Alliance of Worlds.

Krogan Clan Alliance: Right of Succession

Since the birth of the Krogan Clan Alliance, the right of who should hold the supreme leadership had always been an issue. Some believe it should be a right of strength, as it always has been for the krogans. However, their allies and the more long-sighted members within their clans feared that someone that was physically powerful might not care about the krogan people and lead them to destruction. So for years, the council of male and female shamans continued to argue about who should lead until they came up with a solution called the Right of Succession.

The Right of Succession is a three-act ritual that must be performed by any krogan who wished to challenge the current Supreme Commander of the Krogan Clan Alliance, or performed by the current leader every ten years to prove they continue to have the right to rule. It is a very tough, arduous ritual split into three acts. The first act is the witness of poverty, where a krogan is dropped off within a city without any food and water, and they must survive for two months. To fulfill the test, the participant relives the hardships facing the lowliest krogan as they survive off the streets of Tuchanka. Many potential Commanders give up within weeks of the test while others starve to death out of pride. The ones that survive now understand the hardship of being so low.

Once the elders have deemed the survivors of the first test a success, they proceed to act two. Where the candidate must take command of a large military unit of a natural or enemy clan and lead them against any number of targets. That range from pirates to a major military campaign in times of conflict or war. The objective is to lead his men to victory with minimal casualties, and the candidate krogan must gain the respect of their men. If the elders accept that the candidate has passed, then it shows they have the leadership the krogan needs to lead in times of violence.

However, even times of violence are followed by times of peace, and the final act tests how the leader would react in times of peace. The krogan’s diplomatic skills are put to the test by having them act as a mediator in a major trade agreement or disagreement. If they are successful and the supervisor does not have to step in, then the krogan has the right to challenge the supreme commander for his position, it takes ten years for the test to be completed.

Few had ever succeeded, but none had a challenge or beat Urdnot Wrex, the first and only Krogan to take up Supreme Commander of the Krogan Clan Alliance. Mainly because they realize what the job entails and know Wrex is just looking for someone he considered worthy of dumping it on. Many hope they will not be picked when Wrex gives up and just retires instead of waiting for someone worthy to challenge him.

Joke: Humans had considered using a similar approach to weed out corruption, but it did not get a single vote in parliament, so the motion was squashed.


	6. Planets and Locations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Reader: Albert

Arcturus Station II

The capital of the Confederation Alliance of Worlds, Arcturus Station is one part fortress and one part commerce center. Built over the old Arcturus Station, the new Arterius Station II is considered a marvel of engineering as possibly the largest station built after the Protheans. Often nicknamed the ‘mushroom dome,’ the station resembles a mushroom half the size of the Citadel, with a long arm to the side for visiting dignitaries, several oval bodies along the stem and several defense networks and plasma cannons to make any invasion turn tail and run. However, what indeed makes the station valuable is that the dome at its top is hollow to allow a ship to dock to be repaired, even in the middle of battle. Combined with the fourth, fifth and sixth fleet that patrol or are stationed around Arcturus insures only someone really powerful or stupid would dare attack the capital of the Confederation. Current residents of the station include 450 thousand military personnel and over 1.8 million civilians.

Earth

The homeworld of the human, Earth, also known as Terra was a jewel of humanity until the Darkspawn War began. The war that devastated Earth as the humans left the planet in droves. Those people that remained on Earth were either the impoverished, extremely tough, those in the military, or those too stubborn to leave. After the war ended, few returned, as there was a stigma about the security of the planet. The apprehension that was so bad that even the capital of the Human System Alliance was moved from Atriums Station to Earth’s moon Luna as the station was commissioned to be the Confederation Alliance of World’s headquarters.

However, that belief is slowly changing because of the restoration project that restored Earth’s ecosystem. It made the planet a beautiful place that attracted tourists as well colonists to return home. Especially those that live near the border territories of the Terminus Systems were slaver attacks are common. The current population is around 5 billion people.

Eden Prime

Eden Prime was initially settled by the Human System Alliance and one of several garden worlds within the Confederation that is used to supply food for the Confederation. However, unlike most garden worlds that grow and cultivates food for one species, the planet produces food for humans and the krogans across Confederation space. As Eden Prime ships more than twenty present of the intergalactic food for both races.

Though what makes Eden Prime genuinely remarkable is that it is also a symbol. To humans, it was one of their oldest colonies and proof that they could colonize the stars. To the krogans, it is a symbol of change, as those unable to fight are able to work on the planet, instead of being killed off as they would have been on Tuchanka. But more importantly, it is a symbol of unity and friendship for both races, and both are very willing to do anything to protect this world. The current population is 450 million humans and 500 million krogans.

Fade

Also known as the world of dreams, the Fade is a parallel dimension connected to our dimension from the brain waves of sentiments in the prime/mortal world. In the fade, ideas, both bad and good, are born and passed into the unconscious of others. It was unknown to most species until the discovery and use of dilithium crystals. Now, those affected by dilithium crystals are aware of this fantastic place, and its denizens are aware of them.

Populating the Fade are two different kind of dimensional beings that are created by emotion, or give birth to that emotion. Spirits are beings that reside in the clean, organized ‘heaven’ part of the fade and represent positive emotions like justice, joy, love or courage. Spirits themselves often ignore sentient species from the ‘prime/mortal’ dimension, and they only interact when contacted by the sentient species. The second dimensional being mostly resides in the warped, disorganized ‘hell’ part of the Fade, and they represent negative emotions like pride, anger, hate, and desire. And unlike the spirits, they often make many trips into the ‘prime/mortal’ dimension to possess a sentient species. This leads to many species having to deal with demons; and thanks to magicians and force fields, peaceful dealings can occur with demons and hopeful secrets in the Fade of years to come.

Luna

The oldest colony of the human race, Luna is their homeworld’s moon that has become humanity’s capital. As the headquarters of the major mining corporation (helium and minerals) for the Confederation planets and the presence of large, continuously occupied cities have given the planet the right to be considered a primary world. Especially with the biodomes and a spaceport. It also is noteworthy that a fourth of the moon is restricted to civilians due to either military forces housing or the bunker that holds the Human System Alliance parliament and Prime Minister. The current population is around 50 million.

New Rannoch

Initially, a barren world found between the Terminus Systems, Human and Geth space, New Rannoch was explicitly terraformed for the quarians. It was designed to be their new homeworld to allow the quarian population to grow and as a perfect staging world to populate other planets. However, when the geth came with an offer of peace, a significant portion of quarians moved back to their old homeworld, Rannoch, and its colonies. Only a fraction of their population remained on New Rannoch.

Most of these quarians stayed for they feared the geth was luring them into a trap or they did not wish to move again after settling down for a year. A few, however, saw great potential in New Rannoch as a place to reestablish the quarian economy by making it a major trade route between the humans, quarians/geth and the Terminus Systems. Ten years later, it is now a major trade route within Confederation Space and the Terminus Systems and has become one of the wealthiest planets, competing with worlds like Ilium and Noveria.

Due to its vast importance as a trading center, the planet is protected by a large marine force, and planetary defense system so strong it would make the pirates from the Terminus think a several times over before even attacking the planet. Confederation Travel Advisory recommends that anyone traveling to New Rannoch come armed or stay in designated areas for their own safety. The planet also has one of the highest crime rates of any place in Confederation space, due to several mercenary groups and companies with ties in the Terminus System make their planet their home. The current population is 2.8 million quarians and 500,000 of various other species.

Terra Nova

Terra Nova is one of the Class-1 colonization prospects discovered by the first wave of Alliance surveys in 2120. It is the second human extrasolar colony, and the first established beyond the Charon mass relay. Climatically, it is a planet that is banded by a harsh equatorial desert and with temperate areas closer to the poles. The colonies there experienced a massive population boom in 2140’s in part due to the discovery of the rare metal called platinum that is needed in the manufacture of clean-burning hydrogen cells that power private vehicles. It also saw an even more significant population boom after so many humans left Earth to settle outside the Sol system during the Darkspawn War. The current population is 750 million humans, spread around the temperate and outer edges of the desert climates on Terra Nova.

Tuchanka

Tuchanka, the homeworld of the krogans was once a wasteland brought on by nuclear winters that the krogans inflicted on themselves. Combined with losing hope thanks to the Council’s Genophage, the Krogan homeworld becomes a barren world, where clans fought over fertile females or wandered across the wastelands to die by starvation or just become a meal for hungry varren, harvesters or even thrasher maws. Or at least it once was before the Krogans became a founding member of the Confederation Alliance of Worlds.

Now, the planet was restored thanks to the Restoration Project and hope brought on by the Genofertilization. Making Tuchanka a healthy world that is part metropolis and part lush jungle, with only a few spots that are still a wasteland and remain as a constant reminder of what the planet was like in the past. However, the restoration of life did not make the world safer. If anything, it had made it deadlier. Predators that generally would have had to search extensively for food now could find food easily and thus their numbers had increased exponentially. Especially as many animals once extinct were brought back, like the Kakliosaur that the krogan rode to battle. Yet despite the dangers, the krogans have multiplied and are prospering on one of the most dangerous planets in the galaxy. The current population is 5 billion krogans.


	7. Reapers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Reader: Albert

List of Races in the Reaper Forces

Asari with mutations: banshee

Batarian: cannibal

Elcor: thrasher

Elf/human (plus dwarves): husk, kamikaze (formerly known as an abomination), scion (3 humans) and praetorian (30 humans)

Hanar: slasher

Harvester: harvester dragon

Krogans/qunari/yahg with turian/quarian: brute

Protheans/asari: collector

Quarian/salarian: minion

Rachni: ravager and swarmers

Turian: marauder

Vorcha: howlers

Collector's Forces List

Within the collector's forces, drones are the most common and numerous of the hive mind. With standard equipment of organic armor, collector rifle and an organic blade for close quarters combat, drones are a menace for most armies. Drones are the most basic unit of Collectors with specialized units with specialized labor and/or combat roles. They are easily identifiable as they have a different appearance their progenitor race and they have biotic/kinetic barriers.

Assassin: Assassins are specialized collectors that use a collector beam particle to strip away an enemy's shields and armor from a distance while using small webbing on their feet to hold them in place. They do not engage in close quarters combat or perform any necessary form of labor for the hive.

Biotic: Collector biotics are specialized collectors that use standard biotic attacks (pull, push and warp) to take down their enemies. They also use biotics to act as the collectors' heavy lifters in battle or outside to help the hive. They use a Collector SMG in battle.

Captain: Captains are specialized collector drones that command a collector unit within the field, including seeker swarms that they can deploy to pick apart enemy shields and stun their victims. They also are the first to be possessed by the Collector General/Reaper, increasing kinetic barriers, hardening their organic armor, and giving them the ability to launch a devastating biotic warp field that can shred through their enemies' kinetic barriers and armor.

Drone: Drones are the standard collector soldier in the field that often does the grunt work of the forces, while they deploy webbing in the battle to keep their targets within an area. They are also the cannon fodder of the collector forces, used to protect specialized collector units at the cost of their own life. They are also the second most likely to be possessed by the Collector General/Reaper, giving them kinetic barriers, hardening their organic armor slightly and provided them the ability to launch a powerful biotic warp that can shred through their enemies' kinetic barriers and armor.

Guardian: Guardians are specialized collectors that create helix barriers to give them cover as they snipe enemies from a distance using a Collector Sniper Rifle. They do not engage in close quarters combat or perform any necessary form of labor for the hive.

Technician: Collector technicians are specialized collectors that use standard tech attacks (cryo blast, incinerate and overload) to take down their enemies. They also use their technical skills to hack unfamiliar tech, and they perform the more technical repairs on a ship. They use Collector SMG in battle.

Howlers

When the Reapers began the extermination of the fast-reproducing vorchas, they created a mass number of cannon fodder for their forces. Howlers are Reaper units weaker then husks but make up for their weakness with their numbers and weapons. Alone, they are not much of a threat, but they have two sets of weapons. One is their sharp claws and teeth that can scrape off the armor. The second is their howl that causes psychological fear to organics. It also can serve to call in reinforcements as other nearby reapers join into the howlers' howl. A howler never fights alone as they swarm over their enemies. Confederation forces recommend caution against howler swarms and train troops to use fast repeating weapons or shotguns for close range combat with howlers.

Minions

Created from the harvesting of quarians or salarians, minions are the tech support and sniper units of the Reapers, often killing their targets from a distance while trying to stay behind other Reaper forces. Minions have little to no armor that depended on their kinetic barrier to stay alive. They often fall back when their barriers fail, a trait that caused many krogans to call them pyjak units, thinking they were weak until it was discovered how they support Reaper Forces.

On the back of a minion are Reaper barriers that are used to give or enhance the kinetic barriers of Reaper units within a small radius of a Reaper barrier. Reaper barriers are placed on a wall or the ground before using a chemical process created from the minion's stomach acid that changes the structure of the Reaper nanoprobes. The body acid released from a minion simultaneously breaks down the wall or ground material while Reaper nanoprobes reconstruct it on a molecular level, a two-prong process. This material alteration ensures that the barriers can never be moved by external means and make the Reaper barrier much harder to destroy.

Minions also help Reapers secure new territory outside of combat, by building Reapers barriers, various ground weapons, and organic turrets using material repurposed by their stomach acids. Materials also include parts from fellow Reaper units, mostly cannibals, howlers, husks or slashers for their organic turrets and barriers. The ability to build Reaper tech combined with their frequent tactic of poisoning the water and food supplies of a military installation during a Reaper siege make minions a priority target. Confederation forces also recommend shooting at Reaper barrier or organic turret as they are being built or place sufficiently large amounts of explosive that will not only destroy the device but kill any Reaper forces anywhere near them.

Slashers

Slashers are harvested hanar created to be ground forces similar to husks, though slightly faster on the ground and a lot faster in a liquid-base environment. However, unlike husks that serve as hound dogs that are able to sniff out their enemies and to take prisoners; slashers have only one purpose, to kill anyone that defies the Reapers. With many mechanical claws on tentacle arms that can cut into a tank easily, they are killing machines as they swarm over a target. Confederation forces recommend that soldiers kept their distance and used fast, repeatable weapons to take down a whole horde of slashers which is how they appear in battle, a horde. If melee combat must be used, it is best to strength kinetic barriers and strike quickly in the center for a quick kill. Slashers generally have less armor than regular husks and are more vulnerable to being blasted back by a shotgun.

Thrashers

When the Reapers invaded Dekuuna and began harvesting its local elcor population, they created a new tank unit to replace the dwindling ravager's population. Thrashers are harvested elcor turned into living tanks that can use their giant legs to bash and crush their targets including enemy fortifications. Thrashers also have gun turrets attached to their side to help take down troops. If its turrets are destroyed, they can be repaired, though slowly, through a chemical reaction applied by cannibals. Thrashers also have a large cannon on their back that can easily turn the tide of battle.

The Thrasher's main cannon fire a molten charge that can destroy any known ground vehicles, including the M-53A Varren Tomkah. Its only drawback is that it takes twenty seconds to recharge and another minute to cool down before it is able to fire. Combined with the Thrashers' low maneuverability and slow speeds makes them vulnerable to elite squads or a high-speed vehicle/heavy tank that can avoid its main cannon. Confederation forces recommend that it is best to attack thrashers with air support, or from behind, hitting the turrets first and burning away its armor. Confederation forces also recommended that soldiers keep an eye open for ravagers and scions that generally travel along with a thrasher.


	8. Sentient Species

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Reader: Albert

Demon Relationship with Mages

Initially, the relationship between mages and demons were problematic. Demons started by trying to possess weak-willed mages and anyone in proximity to dilithium crystals while attempting to establish a relationship with strong-willed or powerful ones. Often by offering them enticements of power or help grant mage's their greatest desire for partial or even full possession, but with limited success. Most mages avoided or fought demons whenever possible because of their fear of possession. That all changed when the magical implants were invented. While psychic knights had almost no relationship with demons thanks to their implants, the magicians themselves had developed a symbiotic relationship with demons since demons can't possess mortals and still want to know what it means to be mortal.

This relationship allowed a boom of information to be available to the galactic community and permitted magicians to learn more about the Fade, and even things long been forgotten. It is strange to note that there are few demons older than fifty thousand years old. It is as though something wiped out or hammered away their population fifty thousand years ago and they are just now recovering.

Geth: Geth Forces

Geth Repair Drones: repair drones that can float up and repair Confederation technology.

Geth Recon Drones: floating turrets that can shoot and scout out targets.

Geth Trooper: grey geth units with weak kinetic barriers, Geth Rifle, and the ability to lay down hex shields

Geth Hoppers: unshielded blue geth with long arms and legs that can hop wall to wall, and have a mini-EMP turret under its head to disable electronics

Geth Shock Troopers: white and black geth troopers with military kinetic barriers, Geth Rifle and the ability to lay down hex shields and use carriage shots

Geth Snipers: brown shielded geth with two red eyes with one large and one small eye on the side, a Javelined Snipe Rifle, concussive shots, and the ability to lay down hex shields

Geth Rocket Trooper: silver spiked geth with two blue eyes with one large and one small one on the side, and a rocket launcher

Geth Hunter: black geth with two red with one large and one small eye on the side, a Geth Shotgun, and have the ability to cloak

Geth Pyro: shielded and armored orange geth units, a single large white eye with four red eyes around the white eye, and a flamethrower

Geth Bombers: armored and shielded floating platform that has the ability to drop bombs and has a single blue eye

Geth Legion model: self-functioning geth units that work alone or with the organic unit using organic communication, they have a large antenna on their back that comes in a variety of colors and a single eye. Legion models are made up of one thousand and five hundred different programs from a dozen different units and are designated by a unique name or Commander-unit

Geth Prime: giant shielded and armored red geth with three eyes, Pulse Cannon, and have the ability to manufacture and launch Geth Recon Drones and combat drones

Geth Armature: they are white, armored and shielded four-legged platforms with, machine gun turrets and a molten cannon turret, and a single eye

Geth Colossus: larger, more heavily armored black versions of the armature that can carry a dozen geth troopers and shock troops

Geth: Population Limits

When it comes to population growth, there is a limit on how much growth a species can achieve, and the geth are no different. However, unlike most species on a galactic scale, the geth had reached their limit two centuries within their isolation. A restriction they could not surpass, despite the number of upgrades they have undergone on their own and as a member of the Confederation. Limits brought by two fundamental restrictions: space and resources.

When it comes to space, most organics within their planets/cities could handle a sudden flux within the population, by either expanding or shrinking the amount of space they could occupy. However, that is not so for the Geth as a Geth Server, their equivalent to a city, must have a certain number of programs running at any time. Too many would take up space and damage the server's CPU, overheating and overloading it as they 'fight' each other to run the same functions. Too few and the programs cannot support each other, causing system failure within the server. Thus, each server has a limit of space that is only matched by a restriction in resources making complex AIs over VIs.

When it comes to training and maintaining a standard soldier through his/her career, cost more than building and maintaining a geth trooper, the cheapest and easiest unit to destroy within a Geth Battalion. However, building and maintaining a battalion of different geth units along with a Geth Serve costs three times as much as training and supporting an interspecies battalion. In comparison, it cost two times less in building a battalion of simple VI robots over a trained battalion of organics. Creating a unique relationship where a geth trooper is expendable on most ships, while a battalion is priceless when protecting planets.

Overall, the various facts reinforce the fact there is just not enough resources to building an army to overwhelm organics across the galaxy. Nor do they want to as they are trying to keep the peace with organics within and outside Confederation space.

Geth: Legion Models

Created for specialized units within the Geth, the Legion Models are the Geth commanders and Special Forces within the Geth Collective and in the Confederation military. Using the best hardware across Confederation Space, allows them to use not only multiple programs at once, but also act independent of servers, often creating unique skills and personalities to compete with highly skilled organics. However, due to the cost of each unit equal that of a lightly armored frigate, only a limited number are manufacture at a time. Programs usually included in the Legion Models would consist of a dozen from every type branch of Geth forces, reason, assault, stealth attacks, and EST. With the best record runtimes are transferred into such a unit. Usually, the Confederation Military would quickly put these Legion Models through Officer School or N Special Forces. Officers are designated as Command Units, and Special Forces are designated as Legion Units.

Quarians: The Lost Ones

Despite what many believed for hundreds of years, there were quarians left on Rannoch after the Migrant Fleet left the system. In fact, it turned out that over fifty thousand quarians chose to remain on Rannoch with the Geth, as their machines tried their best to keep them alive. Unfortunately, it would be their doom. Radiation and dust created by the quarians using nuclear weapons to destroy the geth had damaged much of the planet's surface. In turn, it was slowly killing them and making the population sterile. It would be a decade later before the quarians realized it, but it was too late as the population declined at a rate that could not be self-sustaining. Even moving to another world would not help save the Lost Quarians.

The geth suggested the quarians leave the planet and settle on an outer colony to prolong their species' lifespan by another one hundred to two hundred years. However, they declined and spent the time and resources they had left cleaning the planet to be used as a peace offering for the geth. It was a tribute to the Migrant Fleet and to the Lost Ones as they leave a legacy behind. Something the machines could not understand but appreciate as the geth worked alongside their creators until the last one died a hundred years after the Migrant Fleet left the system, leaving their legacy in the hands of their creations.

The geth continued cleaning the planet for over two hundred years in honor of those quarians that stayed with them and were eventually able to give the clean planet to the Migrant Fleet as a peace offering. The geth also built over seventy thousand statues of the lost quarians and their descendants. And every year, the geth repaired the statues so that not even a crack appeared on their surface. They would later be joined by the descendants of the Migrant Fleet as they honored the sacrifice of the Lost Ones during the Day of Mourning.

Quarians: Pilgrimage

The Pilgrimage was once used by the quarians as a right of adulthood and means to maintain their genetic diversity. During the pilgrimage, the quarians would leave their birth ship to find a valuable resource to present to another captain, prove their worth, and find a new home. However, since the quarians reclaimed their homeworld and several colonies, the pilgrimage was repurposed as just a right to adulthood and was given three choices to prove their right to adulthood. The first was to explore the galaxy, trying to find a new advanced technology or resources the quarians and through extension, the Confederation Alliance of Worlds could use. Another was the development of new technology or procedures either by themselves or by working as an intern for one of the various R&Ds companies. However, most chose a third option, which was to join the Confederation Alliance of Worlds military or Quarian Defense Forces, and serve for two to five years depending on how to distinguish their carrier was. A choice that many had considered honorable and that several considered as a career going into their adulthood.


	9. Ships and Vehicles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Reader: Albert

Missiles Classification

Disruptor torpedoes are small mass effect missiles that are effective against kinetic barriers and fast moving targets. Among torpedoes, they are the cheapest to make and are mass-produced as most fighters and warships are equipped with disruptor torpedoes of various sizes. During combat, they are often used as a first barrage-type weapon to take down enemy shields or to hit fast moving ships like fighters and light frigates.

Javelin Missiles are slowest and most expensive of the missiles. Their warheads are either dark/plasma energy missiles for more conservative targets, to nuclear/antimatter warheads powerful enough to devastate a planet. Javelin Missiles are meant to take down large targets and large ground bases. Nuclear and antimatter warheads are used on targets not located on garden worlds since the use of antimatter/nuclear warheads on garden worlds are forbidden.

Plasma torpedoes are small plasma missiles that use plasma to burn through armor and flesh and are weak against kinetic barriers. They are also the second most frequently manufactured of the missile class, as they are used on fighters converted to be bombers and most starships. During combat, plasma torpedoes are often used after enemy kinetic barriers are drained to burn through armor, or they are used to take out slow-moving targets with weak shields.

Starship Classification

Attack fighters are the one-man vehicle used to perform close-range attacks. They are designed to provide an escort for various other vehicles, intercept small enemy vehicles, perform quick hit and run strikes, or swarm ships/bases to provide confusion (similar to that seen with schools of fish or flocks of birds). Designed to be fast and maneuverable, fighters are often light craft that is equipped with either a single or combination of plasma laser, kinetic weapons and torpedoes depending on the assigned mission. They are modified into bombers, multi-role fighters, or simple interceptors.

Shuttles are small craft designed to carry personal from place-to-place. Generally, they are not as heavily armed as those made into gunships, though they can be very fast or maneuverable depending on class and mission.

Gunships are similar to shuttles and essentially are shuttles made into the heavily armed craft, often at the cost of the number of personnel they can carry. Armaments often depend on class and type of mission.

Corvettes are small starships that act as yachts or small gunships in the thick of battle. They also act as heavy shuttles and can travel alone on missions and generally have a crew complement of ten.

Freighters are ships of various sizes and designed to be as simple as a cargo ship for troop transport or as a luxury liner for company CEOs or military generals. Some have limited weaponry while others are just as armed as a cruiser depending on the class.

Frigates are small, fast ships that travel in wolf pack flotillas of four to six ships and are used to scout out targets and screen for larger vessels. They are used as either fighter killers or to take down the craft of various sizes from a distance. They also can land on most worlds, which allow them to be used as troop transports during an invasion or to provide reinforcements. Most frigates have a standard crew complement of 60-180. Turian ships are the exception with crew complements of 300, many of which are soldiers that are dropped off during an invasion.

Heavy frigates, sometimes known as light cruisers or destroyers are ships that are in-between the size of a cruiser and a frigate. These ships are designed to be relatively small, fast ships that emphasize firepower that sometimes can match a cruiser while taking on the same roles as a standard frigate. They can also land on most worlds as well. They generally have a crew complement of 240-320.

Cruisers are the middleweight combatants as they are faster than dreadnoughts and more heavily armed than frigates. Cruisers are the standard patrol units, often traveling in pairs or leading a wolf pack flotilla in battle as they use their superior firepower to take down most ships outside of dreadnaughts. Cruisers are also designed to land on low to medium gravity worlds alone for repairs and supplies. The ability to land allows them to participate in land base invasions and to launch land-based vehicles as well as conduct orbital bombardment. Standard crew compliment is around 750-900 and an attack fighter compliment of 18.

Heavy Cruisers, sometimes known as battleships are ships that serve as next level of firepower and size between dreadnoughts and cruisers, while generally having 30-20% less firepower than a dreadnaught they significantly exceed that of a cruiser and are 50-40% less expensive than a dreadnaught. Combined with no limit in numbers of heavy cruisers a species can employ makes them a great alternative to dreadnaughts as they are used as command ships when a dreadnaught is not around, or deep space exploration ships. Standard crew compliment is around 1,200, and an attack fighter compliment of 36.

Carriers are dreadnought-sized vessels introduce by humans as warships designed to carry a large number of fighters to battle and stay at the edge of battle to retrieve smaller ships. Rarely used in direct battle as their weak armor and barriers make them a liability against even more heavily armed frigates, carriers are often used in a support role. They do not have enough firepower to match a cruiser geared to defend the large warship against frigates and smaller ships. Standard crew compliment is around 1,800-2,400, and they have an attack fighter compliment of 216.

Dreadnoughts are capital ships around 1-1.2 km long mounted with heavy firepower. Most dreadnoughts have mass effect cannons 800 m long that can produce enough firepower to act as a nuclear weapon but without the fallout of radiation. Most are deployed only for missions that are vital to a campaign as they command up to a fleet of four to twelve wolf pack flotillas in support. They are mighty warship that numbers are limited thanks to the Treaty of Farixen. Under the treaty drawn up by the Citadel, the ratio of Dreadnoughts allowed between all races was set with the turians having the largest number. Current numbers are 50 for the turians, 30 for the asari, 25 for the salarians, 20 for the humans, and the rest of the governments can make up to 10 dreadnoughts. Standard Crew compliment for a dreadnaught is around 2,400-3,000, and they have an attack fighter compliment of 72.

Note: The Destiny Ascension Class Asari Dreadnaught is considered to be a Heavy Dreadnaught class as it has a crew complement of 10,000 and a fighter compliment of 144. It is also noted that it is 1.4 km long, 2.5 km wide, 3 km tall, as opposed to most dreadnaughts that have hulls that are 1-1.2 km long, 800-900 m wide and 380-450 m tall.

Confederation Alliance of Worlds: Ground Vehicles

Geth: Geth forces use Geth Colossus and Armatures to act as hulking tanks on planets, protect strongholds on Confederation worlds, or to secure hostile territory after they are dropped off from orbit.

Long Glider Probe is a long-range planetary drone design for resonance and combat. Equipped with a low power engine, cloaking generator, mass effect weapons, and missiles, allow soldiers to get a bird’s eye view on the ground, as well as the ability to destroy weak targets.

The M-12 Blue Speeder is a small hoverbike that uses mass effect technology to allow it to hover and perform high-speed chases; it is calibrated for high maneuverability. Combined with two small mass effect cannons attached to its sides makes it perfect for hit and run attacks despite it being very dangerous operating the vehicle due to its sensitive controls. Controls that leads to a lot of crashes were even simple maneuvers may result in the death of the pilot. Due to this, the Confederation manual states that the pilot should keep both hands on the searing bars. Because of these safety issues, they are very rarely used except by Special Forces or scouting missions.

The Atlas Mark II is mechs that serve as the in-between size tanks and infantry in small spaces and in rare cases, out in the open field. Like the Mark I, the Mark II has two-robotic arms with one equipped with a cannon, along with a tactical display glass cockpit, and a rocket packet on its rear for jumping up steep steps and to land safely on the ground after being dropped from space. However, the Mark II has several additions to those found in the Mark I, like a forward mounted machine gun turret controlled by a VI and retractable wheels that replace feet that allow it to quick movement across the field with the aid of its jetpack. This makes it perfect against standard infantry, but against elite troops with cover and most tanks like the Mako, Hammerhead and Varren Tomkah, the Mark II is not as effective, especially in open fields. This makes them less valuable to the Confederation outside of urban combat, but not to others like Cerberus.

The M-080 Truck is an all-terrain truck with dozens weapon and design variants used by not only the Confederation Alliance of Worlds but also every military organization in the galaxy. The Confederation Alliance, in particular, uses an unarmed version (M-080J), a version armed with a machine gun (M-081J) and one designed to fire missiles (M-082J). Generally, they are only used on occupied planets and are rarely used during an invasion.

The M-29E Grizzly is a short rage, common, a galactic tank that the Confederation Alliance of Worlds uses as a security tank rather than a tank of the war. The M-29E Grizzly is also mainly used by militia forces or given as gifts from the Confederation.

The ND-1A Nomad is a new all-terrain exploration-focused land vehicle that is used to explore frontier worlds. With enhance sensors and an interchangeable four-wheel to six-wheel drive, it can quickly survey a planet for colonization unlike other models design for transportation or battle. However, the advanced sensor array comes at the cost of the ability to arm it or transport a large number of goods. It came in two models, unarmed (ND-1A) and armed with a machine gun (ND-2A).

The M-35B Mako is a modified version of the old Mako used by the Human System Alliance. Like the old model, they are heavily armored vehicles with mass effect/plasma cannon, machine gun turret, and they drive on six wheels. However, unlike the previous model, the quarians and geth modified the engine mass effect core to make it run like a sports car. Only a few vehicles like the Hammerhead can outrun it, and its ability to operate in any world makes it a must for any ground forces and ships as large as a frigate. Due to advancements in the tank, both the old and new versions of the Mako are now widely used by several races and mercenaries across the galaxy.

The M-44B Hammerhead is a fast moving hover vehicle with self-guidance missiles, machinegun turret and mini-thruster engines for turbo speeds. Its high rates speeds allow them to surpass any ground vehicle within a planet’s atmosphere. At the reduced cost armor to the point, a soldier equipped with a powerful handheld weapon can destroy it. Especially the earlier models as they had weak kinetic barriers, making them easy to shoot down. The latest design includes enhanced kinetic barriers that make it harder to shoot down, but it cannot take too many direct hits, so tight areas are not recommended for combat. However, despite its shortcomings, the Hammerhead still serves very well as a fast-moving tank for scouting purposes, and to soften an enemy entrenchment before the main force attacks the enemy. Combined with its high speeds and its advanced thruster allowing it to jump over large hurtles, it is necessary for ground forces and ships that can hold more than one ground vehicle.

M-53A Varren Tomkah is a modified version of the old Krogan vehicle the Tomkah, and act as the heavy tank for Confederation forces. Like the old Tomkah, the Varren Tomkah is a six-wheeled vehicle with heavy armor that protects it from attack, but that is where the similarities end. The Varren is a more heavily armed tank, with kinetic barriers, two larger mass effect cannons, and four machine gun turrets: one on top for the forward attack, one on each side and one on the aft of the vehicle. It also has missile launchers on each side that can fire a barrage of missiles to wipe out a large number of enemies and even enemy air or spacecraft. The only disadvantage is speed, as the tank is slow compared many tanks, but it is still fast enough to stay ahead of an orbital bombardment.

Confederation Alliance of Worlds: Space/Air Vehicles

Standard Ship Equipment: field equipment, rations, thermal clips and spare weapons

Standard additional equipment for frigates and up the medical bay, light research/manufacturing lab, probes, stored perishable consumables, shuttle bays, and support crafts (land vehicles and/or spacecraft)

Standard additional equipment for cruiser and up: hydroponic bays, fighters, fully stocked medical bay and large research/manufacturing labs

XM3 class skycar is a short-range civilian, and military vehicles used by a variety needs found in several different galactic organization, both militarist, and civilian. Generally, they are not armed, but they can come in a variety of uses in both commercial and militarized transport.

UT-47 Kodiak class troop shuttlecrafts are two different versions drop shuttles. The regular type A is a standard military drop shuttle used by several galactic organizations, while the type B that is equipped with stealth capabilities, including stealth drive and a cloaking generator. Shuttle squadrons are often split up by Greek letters or planet name, and individuals by number (e.g., 1-36). A Kodiak can carry up to 12 personal sitting down and up to 48 standing up.

UT-52 Java class cargo shuttlecraft is a heavier version of the UT-47. Twice as large and powerful, it is designed primarily to carry a large amount of cargo, including personnel at the cost of speed and maneuverability. Shuttle squadrons are often split up by Greek letters or planet name, and individuals by number (e.g., 1-36). A Java can carry up to 24 personal sitting down and up to 96 standing up.

A-61A class gunships are a heavily armed craft that is used by a variety of military organizations to destroy enemy forces on the ground along with dropping off a complement up to twelve troops. The gunships squadrons are split by Greek letter or planet name, and a unit number for the individual ships. A gunship can carry up to 8 personal.

F-72 Phoenix class attack fighters are modified versions of the F-62B Trident class Attack Fighter from the Human System Alliance used by the fleet for their speed, maneuverability, and modification ability to be a torpedo bomber, attack fighter or interceptor. Too many species of the galaxy, the Trident and its successor the Phoenix class is considered to be a superior fighter, and a number have tried to steal Phoenix class fighters for their own use or buy the older Trident variants. Fighter squadrons are often split up by color, and individuals by numbers (e.g., 1-12).

Swarm class drop fighter is a modified geth fighter designed for planetary combat and as a drop-off fighter. It can fly in a hot zone to drop personal behind enemy lines. They also can be modified to act as breaching pods to attack another ship; its legs can attach onto a ship, and an elite squad can infiltrate the ship by cutting through the hull where the legs attach. A Swarm can carry up to 6 personal.

Razor-Back class corvettes are a small starship used as a long-range scout for a planet/space station or as a diplomatic carrier. It has enough firepower to drive away small spacecraft should it become under attack, it can house a small crew of 2-10.

Far Child class frigates, also known as gunboats are modified Quarian Frigates that serve as fighter and warship screeners. As it can take out whole squadrons or shoot down shuttles and corvettes easily while being able to unleash devastating borage attacks to enemy ships that penetrate the line. About half of the frigates in a wolf pack flotilla are Far Child class frigates. They are named after important politicians, military officials, diplomats, and famous families from all members of the Confederation. It has a length of 273 m and a crew complement of 120.

Terra class attack frigates, also known as human attack frigates are modified Human System Alliance frigates. They serve as the heavy hitters against other frigates, stations, and ships above its weight class while being proficient enough to screen against most fighter squadrons and corvettes. Most frigates have no chance against Terra Class ship, and a squadron of four to six could take down a cruiser, especially if engaging at range. About half of the frigates in a wolf pack flotilla are Terra class frigates. They are named after famous battles from all the members of the Confederation. It has a length of 217 m and a crew complement of 120.

Spirit class stealth frigates, was the original stealth crafts built by the Confederation and Council races and was later replaced by the Specter class heavy frigate in the Confederation. Though they are no longer officially in service, several were kept in storage or modified for other types of services both militaristic and scientific. Those used for the military operation are given the name of famous battles from all members of the Confederation, and scientific are named environmental conditions like Tempest. It has a length of 175 m and a crew complement of 60.

Servant-I class dropships are modified Geth Collective Frigates designed to be either a heavily armed cargo transport or to drop off a large number of troops and vehicles while destroying a large number of enemy ground troops and vehicles using molten plasma cannons. During an invasion, they can hold up to 200 soldiers along with 300-folded geth ready to invade or reinforce territory with numerous support vehicles and crafts. They are given a number by the geth as a designation. It has a length of 195 m and a crew complement of 90 of either geth units or organic personal.

Servant-II class dropships are larger versions of the Servant-I class dropships and used similarly as either a freighter or invasion spacecraft, though not on high gravity worlds. During an invasion, they can hold up to 400 soldiers along with 600-folded geth ready to invade or reinforce territory with numerous support vehicles and crafts. They are given a number by the geth as a designation. It has a length of 390 m, a fighter complement of 12 Swarm Class Drop Fighters attached to the hull, and a crew complement of 240 of either geth units or organic personal.

Garden class heavy frigates, also known as heavy attack frigates are larger versions of the Far Child class Frigates that serve a similar fashion the Far Child class but with more firepower. Due to their more impressive armament, they are sometimes a part of a wolf pack flotilla, especially within larger fleets. They are named after important politicians, military officials, diplomats, and famous families from all members of the Confederation. It has a length of 365 m and a crew complement of 270.

Genesis class heavy attack frigates, also known as heavy gunboats are larger versions of the Terra class Attack Frigates that serve a similar fashion as Terra class but with enough firepower to match a smaller cruiser. Due to their more impressive armament, they are sometimes a part of a wolf pack flotilla, especially within larger fleets. They are named after famous battles from all the members of the Confederation. It has a length of 290m and a crew complement of 270.

Specter class heavy stealth frigates are large frigates with enough firepower that a single frigate could take down a cruiser, while a wolf pack of Specters can take down a dreadnaught. Add in a stealth drive, and tactical cloak creates a nasty surprise attack on the ships targets. It is fortunate for the Confederation’s enemies that only 18 have been made to date. They are also named for famous battles like the attack frigates. It has a length of 260 m and a crew complement of 180.

Liberty class cruisers are large ships that are designed to combine several ship designs: the Alliance folded delta wings engines and the thick neck/head, the Geth dropship’s body and tail, and Quarian’s closed ring head and long thick neck. The combination creates a unique design with a highly efficient mass effect core, greater than average ship velocity, a powerful array of offensive and defensive weaponry, and powerful defensive capability of armor and shields. These ships are often named after cities or geth servers. It has a length of 720 m, a fighter complement of 18 and crew complement of 800.

Enterprise class heavy cruisers are larger, bulkier versions of the Liberty class heavy cruiser with a focus on speed and firepower. They are extremely powerful ships, often used by the Confederation to explore space or lead fleets alone or in part under a dreadnaught. They are named after important scientists, explores, exploration vessels and warships such as the _CSS Enterprise_. It has a length of 860 m, a fighter complement of 36 and a crew complement of 1,200.

Monolith class carriers are one of the larger vessels in the fleet designed to be fighter carriers with an architectural design that looks like an earth whale with its square winged fighter bay attached to each end. To see a carrier, an enemy knows they are soon to be swarmed by fighters. However, they still have the limited firepower and defenses though they are given enough firepower to take down frigates and fighters while being protected by ships of a stronger make. They are often the most protected ships in the fleet and the last to retreat as they collect fighters that were launched to engage the enemy. They are named after large bodies of water or land. It has a length of 1.05 km, a fighter compliment of 216, and a crew complement of 1,800.

Unity class dreadnoughts are the large, thicker, and heavier versions of the Enterprise class heavy cruiser designed to take down a large number of fleet ships with impressive firepower while providing defensive cover for their own fleet. In comparison, only the Asari Destiny class dreadnoughts, Sovereign and the Turian’s Concur class dreadnoughts can match or exceed the ship’s firepower and defense. They are named after mountains or volcanoes. The Confederation currently has 40 dreadnoughts: 20 from the human, 10 from the quarians and 10 from the geth. There are also talks between the Confederation and Council to complete 10 dreadnoughts for the krogans since the krogans were disarmed after the Krogan Rebellions. If the talks are successful, the Confederation will have 50 dreadnaughts. It has a length of 1.2 km, a fighter complement of 72 and a crew complement of 2,400.

Quarian Live Ships Mark-II is the largest class of ships in service in the Confederation, and they are not warships. Based off the original Quarian Live Ships they used when the quarians wandered the galaxy as exiles, the ships were refurbished or built by the Confederation with numerous upgrades to act as either long range colony ships, or emergency evacuations ships. Live Ships are generally lightly armed and depend on their fighter compliment and other ships to survive a battle. It has a length of 2.85 km, height is 2 km, a fighter complement of 48, and a crew complement of 1,800-9,200 with the ability to carry up to 2 million personnel.


	10. Technology

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beat Reader: Albert

Antimatter Reactor

While the production of antimatter is not difficult, using it as a power source was deemed impossible. There was no way to control the antimatter explosions without overloading the reactor and destroying the ship. That was until the discovery of dilithium crystals. Now, antimatter reactions were possible as large dilithium crystals could be used as a focal point to direct the antimatter explosions and absorb energy produced from the natural explosion when matter and antimatter meet. With the energy collected in the crystalline structure, it could power the ship or station while used to create more antimatter particles, making the reactor self-sustaining provided the crystals remained intact.

However, these reactors were not without their dangers and shortcomings. If the reactor ever went critical within a planet's atmosphere, it could rip away a large part of the planet's atmosphere and of course, kill anyone on the ship. Not to mention the high levels of gamma radiation that was released from such an explosion would take centuries to disperse, making the planet inhabitable for organics and synthetics. The reactors are also costly to install and activate ensuring that only large spaceships and deep space stations would see these reactors installed.

Dilithium Crystals

Considered one of the most significant discoveries in modern warfare and clean energy, dilithium crystals have made a substantial impact on the galaxy. Dilithium crystals work as an energy conduit, absorbing any type of energy into their lattice structure to be ejected as pure, compatible energy for any piece of technology that organics needed power, and with an unusually high-energy transfer rate of around 80-90%. An efficient crystal is able to convert the last 10-20% percent to crystal growth, which can be increased a thousand times over depending on how much energy can be collected and contained in the crystal. The rate can also be affected by low energy sources such as solar winds that accumulate into the crystals to increase the restructuring of the lattice and promote the new chemical growth of the crystal. That is why several sites on barren worlds and space stations were built to grow the crystal for power generation and in some cases, to produce an illegal drug made from the crystal.

The crystal itself while vital to energy production around the world is also very hazardous to organic health, especially in amounts greater than ten grams. Direct contact with the skin could easily kill a person from the enormous amount of energy discharged. A refined version similar to biotics red sand has been used as a drug and a newer version, blue sand has proven to be far more addictive then red sand ever was and has become a new drug of choice. It also has even worse side effects than red sand, as prolonged use of the blue sand cases neurological decay of the user, if it did not kill them outright due to overdose. However, despite these dangers for abuse as a drug, it still is an extremely important crystal and is used to power all major industries within the Galaxy. The Confederation forces used the crystal in every generator within their territory while other races' use is more limited.

The Confederation is the only organization that grows the crystals within their system. The first galactic discovery of dilithium crystals was on Earth/Terra through dimensional rips that appeared on the planet. Species with the Citadel Council only have access to crystals they bought from the humans/Confederation. Therefore, the crystals are put into what they consider high priority locations, like large space stations, dreadnaughts, carriers, cruisers and even a few heavy/advanced frigates. This leaves the Council very few crystals to test and adapt to needs outside of their massive fleet of ships and limits dilithium use to vessels larger than frigates. Especially as they try to keep ahead of the military juggernaut of the Confederation. The salarians have been working on a synthetic version of the crystal with no success in breaking the galactic hold the Confederation holds on this energy source.

Genofertilization

As a means to counter the Genophage, Genofertilization was developed by the Human System Alliance to enter an alliance with the krogans during the Darkspawn War. Used as a fertility drug, Genofertilization increased the stable birth rates from 1/50 to over 1/1000 using enzymes synthesized after studying the Darkspawn broodmothers. While it does not cure the Genophage, Genofertilization gave new hope to the krogans and new life since it has a side effect of fewer sterile eggs being laid, decreasing the psychological pain of child loss for the krogans. Many governments worried what this will mean for the krogans as their population increased significantly, while others welcomed it for it seemed to make the krogans viably productive members of the galaxy. The salarians and turians are the most worried since they nearly wiped out the krogans during the Krogan Rebellions and may be targets of a large, revigorate krogan populace.

Ghosting Crystals

Ghosting crystals are special dilithium crystals that when subjected to an electrical current can copy the neuronal pattern released during a person's death, assuming they die hours within a 15m radius of the crystal. When subjected to electricity, it shows a person's demise, not unlike a movie that the investigator can watch. When subjected to proton particles, the essence trapped within the crystal can actually seem to come alive to answer questions about their life up to and in some cases, after their demise. Anything past a ten-minute span of time spent after their death, the subject cannot remember. The crystals have obviously been useful in solving the crime, but they are extremely expensive so law enforcement only uses a few per year and only in extreme cases where the victim could have seen the perpetrator. Both the Confederation Alliance of Worlds and the Citadel Council use Ghosting Crystals in their most heinous crimes, despite the fact that turians and drell believe these crystals harm their souls during each use.

Hydroponics Bays

Due to increased exploration, many races began to encounter an age-old problem, storing enough food that could last years when exploring clusters without a mass relay. To address the need for feed were two simple ideas. The first was to flash freeze various meats and other types of food to be used slowly over the long term. The second was to build large hydroponics bays usually only found on space stations, to grow a large amount of food, mostly genetic engineered plants that grew quickly or continuously produced a significant amount of food. This, in turn, allows a fleet to sustain themselves for years in deep space.

However, from a practicability standpoint, hydroponic bays are only put on large cruisers, heavy cruisers, carriers, and dreadnaughts. Other vessels just do not have the space to put a hydroponic bay to feed their crew, though smaller ships accompanying a dreadnaught or carrier could rely on the larger ships for fresh food since they do have the space to feed a fleet. Both the Council and Confederation have lately been using hydroponic bays throughout their military so soldiers can have fresh food, instead of frozen food or rations to eat. They are routinely used on space stations, including the Citadel.

Kinetic Barriers

Kinetic barriers, more commonly known as 'shields,' provide protection against most weapons. Whether on a starship or a soldier's suit of armor, the basic principle remains the same. Kinetic barriers are repulsive mass effect fields projected from tiny emitters, and they can be enhanced by biotic, tech and 'magical' abilities to increase their potency as these shields can safely deflect small objects traveling at rapid velocities. This affords protection from bullets and other dangerous projectiles but still allows the user to sit down while wearing them without knocking away things like their chair. Kinetic barriers can also be used to protect for a limited amount of time the user against extremes of energy, temperature, and radiation, along with special attacks like biotic, mage, tech and melee attacks. So long as their barriers are active, the user is safe from most dangers on the battlefield.

However, complete safety is really only available for the military-grade kinetic barriers provided to the well-equipped military forces/elite mercenaries and soldiers. Most barriers cannot block such extremes or special attacks due to the amount of energy it would take to operate such a shield. In addition, unless the shields are against civilian grade hardware, they do not last long in combat. Military kinetic weapons can take them down in one to three shots and often kill the target with the very first shot that penetrates the barrier. That is why dignitaries and elite soldiers in any kind of organization are willing to pay whatever the cost for the best protection. It is why shields play such an important role. Of course, armor can play a role in protection, especially heavier medium or heavy armor, but with the addition of shields, the military force has been given the highest protection possible.

Planetary Shield Generator

A pipe dream to the salarians long ago, a planetary shield generator is a kinetic barrier shaped in a bubble that would envelop a whole city to even an entire planet to protect such a city or world from orbital bombardment. However, until dilithium reactors were introduced, it was just a dream as anything larger than a military installation would use so much energy as to soon drain most of the power and cause a planet-wide blackout. Therefore, the idea was discarded until dilithium reactors became available. It was then that dream becomes a reality as the Citadel, and later the Confederation races begin to use planetary shield generators to protect their worlds.

On a city level, a shield generator is placed in the center of a city and used to cover the entire city, keeping it safe from invaders. While on a planetary scale, it would work with hundreds of generators around the planet that would inter-lap one another. Either way, it is a powerful defense despite its major drawbacks, like the great power requirement and the presence of weak spots within the shields.

Planetary shield generators are very power hungry devices that can only be sustained one to two days of continuous bombardment. Meaning constant attack for days/weeks could cause the whole power grid to fail, leaving the entire planet defenseless. That is also assuming it even lasts that long as an invasion can dig tunnels deep enough to bypass the shield entirely. Therefore, it is only meant to hold out for reinforcement and/or to protect a city for a short amount of time. Though it is well worth it if the deployed shield could increase the chance that the civilian population would survive the attack and the cities only would receive minor damage.

Sensors

For sensors, scanners work under four types: passive, active, visual and life-form scanners. Each sensor has its own limits and uses in how they are used.

Passive scanners are more commonly used as long-range sensors. They work by sending out a pulse that goes at light speed. The pulse includes visual, thermographic, radioactive, and radio detectors that watch and listen for objects in space. All objects, unless design not to, admit some kind of thermal, visual, or even background radiation (radio) that can be picked-up light years away. Detection is almost instantaneous if emitted for a prolonged time like most celestial bodies would. A ship or a space station can be identified using a database outlining a ship design/emission and pinpoint the model and the company and/or race that built it. It is unknown if it's a unique design or one belonging to an unknown race can be detected. The only weakness of a passive sensor is the time lag necessary for the ping to detect a ship or small moving object.

Passive sensors are also the only current sensor that can be used during FTL travel, but the incoming data can be significantly distorted by the effect of the mass effect envelope and the Doppler shift and not give reliable information. However, if given enough time (hours), the scans can tell the possible direction an object is heading and its relative speed.

Active sensors are radars and high-resolution LADAR (Laser Detection and Ranging) that emit a 'ping' of energy and 'listen' for return signals. LADARs have a narrower field of view than radar, but LADAR resolution allows images of detected objects to be assembled, giving a more detail scan of the ship. It's also has a shorter range due to the higher resolution, generally within half a light second.

Visual sensors are visual devices that give a detailed picture of an object or craft. To successful detect an object depends on the size and shape of the craft. For spacecraft have to be close to getting a visual scan depending on how developed the sensors are. Unless engaging a ship a few kilometers away, most governments do not even bother to use them in combat.

Life sensors are advanced sensors developed by a combined project between the humans, asari, and salarians after spending years observing mages and demons use their powers to detect life. The sensors work by sending out a pulse of particle energy a mage would use to pick up life form's energy. They can use that energy to determine the type, species, and even age. Unlike other types of sensors, they are the easiest to block or detect and have a range in between active and visual sensors.

Sensors for Deep Space

Due to the time lag, passive sensors are not useful unless put on FTL communication. So the salarians came up with a simple solution. On listening posts and hidden probes, they send out a passive scan within which distance ships show up, like mass relays. From there, it sends transmissions to a hidden series of comm. buoys. While not ideal since it cannot cover a larger range, it is preferable until a solution is determined for development of long-range sensors without a time lag.

Simulated Sleep Fade Machine

Ever since the Fade was discovered, there has been a strong desire to exploit this dream world that holds every idea created. To exploit this world without danger, an Earth/Terra company known as Arcane Wonders made a machine called the Simulated Sleep Fade Machine, also known as the Dream Machine. The machine enhances the brain waves produced during a rim cycle while acting as a simulated search engine through the Fade world. The user just needs a specific idea, and they can search the Fade for the idea, whether it is fictional or factual.

However, the Fade Machine may not provide a complete answer or even a partial one since the Fade holds every possible idea that hundreds of civilizations and its people have made. Meaning that the machine needs a very specific inquiry or it would overload the user with too much information. On the flip side, too specific of information would make it impossible to find without incredible luck due to the massive amount of information that the machine has to evaluate. For instance, it would be easy to find out facts about earth condors and important Asari Matriarchs. However, it would be impossible to find the complete schematics of the Turian Condor class Dreadnaughts, since the asari did not believe it to be important for that information to be kept a secret or it was too obscure for a specific inquiry.

However, despite the Dream Machine's limited ability, it still provided enough danger for users to steal corporate and military secrets so that both the Confederation Alliance of Worlds and the Citadel Council limited the numbers of machines the Arcane Wonders could make and who could buy them. There are also rumors that most governments used the machines to spy on others even if it would be impractical to use the fade as a spy system. The Confederation is known to use Fade Machines without search engines to keep un-implanted mages safe from the demons in the Fade.

Tactical Cloak

Developed originally by the geth during the Morning War, and later introduced to the galactic market by desperate quarians who salvaged the tech, the tactical cloak is a specialized device that allows the user to become invisible to most forms of visual and technological detection in environments outside of space. It works by creating a cloak of light-refracting mass effect fields that envelope the person or object using the field. So long as the field is not disrupted, such as being fired upon or the user firing, the field will last. Disruption is a minor weakness, and the cloak has become a must for spies, infiltrators, and snipers while techs have modified them for holograms and such as other forms of combat. For a ship, it is not as useful.

While the cloaking technology could prevent a visual scan from finding a ship, any other form of sensor could pick up a ship's energy emission (heat, dark energy and such) unless they are equipped with a stealth drive that absorbs the energy was in place. Another reason is that tactical cloaks can be disrupted by space junk or even by space particles, rendering the device useless. Finally is high cost, as it is expensive to line a frigates hull with emitters to generate a tactical cloak and it is too expensive for anything larger than a heavy frigate, leaving only a few ships with cloaking generators, mostly elite black op forces like the STG, Specters, CID and First Battalion.


	11. Weapons and Equipment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Reader: Albert

Ammo

When ‘smart’ guns with VIs were built, so were ways to modify the gun, using advanced software, coating and carving tools. With these tools, the gun could modify the bullets into any form that could fit the soldier’s needs, provided they have the knowledge and skill to modify their weapon.

Armor-piercing rounds are sharp bullets that are specially designed to increase the velocity of the bullet and achieve a greater chance of penetrating/bypassing a kinetic barrier and armor. The rounds also slightly increased damage to other types of ammo against all forms of targets because of their ability to penetrate the armor. They are the preferred rounds for soldiers facing armored targets because of the slight increase in bullet velocity, even if the fire rate does not change.

Cryo rounds are specially coated ammo covered in a cryo-solvent that produces ice bullets, which are able to freeze portions of the enemy’s armor and shield, all the while making the armor/shields weaker while decreasing the targets speed. Cryo rounds are preferred for fast repeating weapons or weapons that create a heavy impact.

Disruptor rounds are specially coated electromagnetic ammo that drains kinetic barriers and at a superior rate. They can also disrupt tech attacks and even work better against synthetic targets. Disruptor rounds are preferred when dealing with powerful kinetic barriers or synthetic targets.

Drill rounds are specially designed to sharpen ammo that has riffling to provide a spin that results in a slight increase in damage to kinetic barriers and armor. They are a favorite for long-range weapons utilized against heavily armored targets.

Energy leach rounds are specially coated with mage entropy energy ammo that can drain kinetic barriers at a superior rate. They can also disrupt mage attacks and even work better against magical powers. Energy leach rounds are preferred by mages in combat situations that deal with powerful kinetic barriers, or magical powers (demons and mage area attacks).

Explosive rounds are specially coated ammo with microfilaments that explode on impact. The careful placement of the microfilaments results in a reduction in the rate of firing making the rounds only useful for demolition or sabotage experts. Demolitionist favors the ammo.

Hammerhead rounds are specially designed to flatten ammo that is fired after a kinetic buildup to knock targets back; their slight firing rate decrease is due to the build-up of energy. Close-range fighters favor the ammo.

Inferno rounds are specially coated and covered with flammable solvent ammo that acts as inferno bullets that can burn through armor at a superior rate. Their use results in minimal damage to kinetic barriers. Inferno rounds are preferred for weapons that are mid-range or have a standard firing rate.

Particle plasma rounds are ammo specially coated by mage spiritual energy to dissolve armor and organic material, with only minor damage to kinetic barriers. Particle plasma rounds are favored for heavy combat by physic mages.

Polonium rounds are ammo specially coated with an acidic/radioactive solvent that can burn, drain and dissolve material and significantly damage kinetic barriers and armor. They are also designed to weaken the target, though not as significantly as cryo rounds. Soldiers that are considered cold, calculating individuals, favor polonium rounds.

Pulse kinetic rounds are specially coated biotic ammo that can drain kinetic barriers at a superior rate. They also can disrupt biotics attacks and work well against biotic powers. Pulse kinetic rounds are preferred by biotics in combat situations that deal with powerful kinetic barriers or biotics powers (anti-gravity technology and biotic area attacks).

Warp rounds are specially coated biotic ammo that can shred armor and organic material and can result in some damage to kinetic barriers. Warp rounds are favored by heavy combat by biotics.

Bishop SMG

Design to be a descaled weapon of the Deacon Assault Rifle, the Bishop SMG is a light SMG design to be the best small weapon while on the move. It works by using a twin-barrel muzzle to allow for rapid-fire rates and accuracy compared to most other weapons of its class. The only disadvantage is that it has a weak damage per shot ratio compare to other SMG and depends on its high fire rate to take targets down.

Blue Widow Sniper Rifle

Developed after the creation of the Black Widow, the Blue Widow is the Asari’s own version of the M-98 Widow. The Blue Widow is the lightest variation of the Widow family with a significant increase in the amount of ammo that can be fired at the cost of weapon power. Its lightweight allows the asari to fire off more biotic attacks and helps them maintain a commando’s mobility. To most commandos, it is well worth it to carry the less powerful weapon, since it still can kill most opponents with one shot and therefore, having a single thermal clip is not really important.

Combat Ranges

In space combat, there are three different types of ranges: short-range, mid-range and long-range combats. Each range is specified for the type of combat that a ship can be engaged in, mostly just frigates or larger crafts are involved.

Short-range is within 10 km radius around the edge of a spacecraft and within the ships range of regular and plasma-based lasers. This is also the preferred range for fighters and fast-moving corvettes as they have a better chance of avoiding enemy fire while doing more damage if possible. Other spacecraft avoid this range unless they are of a significantly stronger class (cruiser/carrier to frigate, heavy cruiser to heavy frigate, and dreadnaught to cruiser/carrier) since most craft cannot avoid being hit at that range.

Mid-range is 10 km to 150,000 km from the edge of a craft. This is known as the effective range of most PPCs and kinetic weapons. It is close enough to allow a high chance of hitting moving targets, but the distance gives the firing craft a higher chance of avoiding enemy fire. Most ships often engage in this range during the duration of the battle.

Long-range combat is 150,000 km or greater from the edge of a spacecraft. A targeted ship usually is five to ten light seconds away and may be up to a light minute away for a stationary/slow target such as a planet or large space station. This is the range for which ships primarily use kinetic weapons or in some instances, very powerful and advanced PPCs. It also the range at which most combat starts, or the range that frigates usually engage craft that outstrips them, like a heavy cruiser or a dreadnaught. It is noted that kinetic rounds from long-range attacks are generally more powerful with the proper acceleration, but long-distance firing is more likely to be intercepted by a point defense system or avoided.

Deacon Assault Rifle

Design primary for asari commandoes, the Deacon Assault Rifle is one of the lightest assault rifles in the galaxy. It is a powerful weapon with its triple barrel action nozzle that allows the assault rifle to fire at a much higher and longer fire rate than most assault rifles while allowing a higher amount of accuracy while on the move. This makes it a great weapon for fast-moving soldiers despite it having one of the weakest per shot damage ratio compare to other assault rifles. Making it so that soldiers depends on its high fire rate to take down targets.

Grenades

When a soldier needs to clear out a large number of enemies quickly or to help take down a difficult target, grenades become a soldiers’ best friend. The most common of the grenades are frag grenades that are widely distributed to soldiers, but there are specialized grenades that are useful for many different forms of attack.

Arc grenades are special grenades that can stun and electrocute enemies with an EMP-packed grenade. It is very effective against kinetic barriers but ineffective against armor.

Cluster grenades are a group of small grenades held loosely together utilized by biotics. They cause a wide number of biotic explosions within a small area. Cluster grenades are able to take out multiple weak targets but are not as effective as a frag grenade against a single target.

Cryo grenades are devastating grenades that weaken the enemy rather than kill them by causing the targets to snap freeze. This not only makes it easier to break kinetic barriers and armor but it also considerably slows down enemy movement.

Flashbang grenades are designed to launch a disorienting, concussive charge that inflicts minor damage and incapacitates all nearby targets, whether its electronics or enemy nervous system, both are temporarily disabled. It also may cause weapons to overheat, omni-tools to jam, and difficulties to arise for the enemy to utilize their biotic and mage powers.

Frag grenades are shrapnel-filled grenades that are designed to rip enemies apart from up close or far away. They are the most common grenades that both soldiers and highly trained mercenaries may carry.

Homing grenades, also known as seekers are special grenades that lock onto a single target and give chase until they hit something. They are most effective against single targets but lose their effectiveness against multiple targets.

Inferno grenades are volatile grenades that explode on impact, sending damaging, flaming fragments flying in all directions. The fire damage from them is effective against armor, but it is ineffective against kinetic barriers.

Lift grenades are special biotic grenades that can create not only a biotic explosion but they can also lift those caught in the explosion for a short duration where they can be killed in mid-flight.

Particle plasma grenades, also known as spiritual grenades, are grenades that release a burst of particle plasma upon impact that can cause a target to disintegrate. However, due to the amount of power the grenade produces at one time, it is only usable within a small area and usually on only one target, unless the targets are packed together.

Polonium grenades are special radioactive/acidic grenades that when exploded can destroy tissue while causing the metal to break down, weakening the targets that may survive the grenades. Special kinetic barriers can block the polonium grenades from harming the host with standard shield drain.

Sticky grenades are special frag grenades that can stick to a target before it explodes, taking out the target and those around the target.

Vine grenades are special grenades using a particle charged dilithium crystal that once released, grows rapidly to grab onto targets over a large area. It slowly squeezes everyone in the area to death. Vine grenades are also effective at entangling and holding tough targets down so they can slowly be taken out with other weapons.

Heavy Armor

“If money is tight, or not, do not settle for just musingly light armor, go for heavy, and nothing will harm you,” is a common slogan by stores selling heavy armor. Heavy and massive body armor is reinforced armor that utilizes the actual armor to protect the user while its kinetic barriers are modified to protect the user from special attacks. The idea was conceived by the krogans during the Rachni Wars when their numbers of soldiers increased at a rate faster than the salarians or the asari could supply them with military armor. To compensate, the krogans would use heavy armor to protect them from most attacks, while using their limited kinetic barriers to block the rachni’s biotic attacks. The armor made all the difference in the war and quickly spread to other species that had the strength to wear heavy armor. A few of the warlords and elite soldiers use heavy/massive body armor with military grade kinetic barriers.

As long as the armor holds, the warrior can be protected from any special attack, even if the armor is easier to burn, chip or tear away without the military grade barriers active. However, it still is not regularly available outside the krogan as heavy armor does cost quite a bit of money, and unless the person is physically strong, they would be better off in the lighter armor than being a slow-moving target.

Manufacturing Rights

As ships and stations became equipped with tools like 3D Printers to replicate new equipment and weapons, various companies began to feel a steep loss in profits. To compensate, the surviving companies had technology like 3D printers worked for them by pushing a product of laws through the Council and later the Confederation in what is now called the Manufacturing Rights. The Manufacturing Rights are a set of laws that dictate an individual who wishes to have the right to build an item must have an individual License, and the blueprints bought through said License.

Licenses are a company owned license that is sold and maintained through a yearly fee, which cost is based on the user’s usage and the number of users. Shop owners and individuals are the cheapest, while the price increases for a company or army depending on the number of employers/soldiers in the said army, with 10,000,000+ being the highest. However, despite being cheaper, the expensive for individuals and small companies, it’s cheaper to buy single items from suppliers/shop owners, especially since blueprints are sold separately.

Blueprints are a set of designs a person can mass-produce or use to upgrade lower level products, often sold at a set price that falls into two categories, brand, and tier. A brand being the specific product design a person can buy, with its price focused on quality of the product while a tier is the number of variants that fall under a brand. Tiers are often split into ten different tiers that are updated after a fixed number of decades. In these fixed states, tier one through two are standard weapons most can afford, while tier three to four are standard military weapons with the later being for general more elite armies like the Confederation or the three main Citadel races. Tier five to seven are rare/elite weapons that are contracted reserved by faction, organization or Special Forces, and finally, tier eight to ten are prototypes not released at this time.

For the Confederation, the government only buys in bulk from companies in Confederation space, and at max, buy up to tier four type weapons with a small number of blueprints are purchased for their main force. Elite forces are allowed to pick a larger/variety of weapons. However, higher-level tiers are left up to individual ships/troops to buy and make using their own budget/finance to pay for licenses and/or higher tier blueprints not provided. It should be noted the Confederation does its own research into upgrading brand items to give them a slight push over the same level tiered weapons and often encourage their ships to do the same.

Melee Weapons

After the darkspawn war, melee weapons have found new life on the frontlines despite there have been modified kinetic barriers to block the physical attack. The most common is an omni-blade, a disposable silicon-carbide weapon flash-forged by the tool’s mini-fabricator from an omni-tool or weapon. The transparent, the nearly diamond-hard blade is created and suspended in a mass effect field safely away from the user’s skin. Warning lights illuminate the field, so the searing-hot blade only burns what it is intended to: the opponent. Soldiers particularly love omni-blades as they can appear at a moment’s notice and each individual to fit their needs can modify it. Sentinels and combat medics often modify them into two small omni-blades while tech experts modify their blades to produce electricity, plasma, cryo frost, and even acid within the blade for maximum effect.

Despite their multiple uses, omni-blades are not universally adopted. In fact, several krogans prefer modified blunt weapons like maces and battle-axes while others prefer more refined weapons, such as swords, tomahawks and a bladed staff. Although these upgraded weapons are superior in a melee, they cannot easily be pulled out of their victim at times leaving the wielder weaponless. Moreover, biotics and mages trained in martial arts use their abilities to enhance the force/power of their attacks creating devastating blows. As a mage can burn a person’s eyes out with their hands and a biotic can kick someone’s head off at full strength.

MB-5 Compound Bow

Developed by Rodam Expeditions, the MB-5 Compound Bow was made for hunters who wished to hunt the toughest of pray like their ancestors up to a certain degree to compensate against heavily armored animals. The compound bow uses a mass effect accelerator found on the arrow rest to increase the speed of the arrow by an adjustable factor of ten. Combined with titanium-steel thread and mass effect generated compound wheels allow for not only easy use, but it can also achieve the same amount of force equal to a sniper rifle. That is why upon its release, the compound bow quickly became a popular weapon among hunters. As well as a few in the Special Forces who use them for silent, long range kills.

Variant: MB-10 Crossbow: a crossbow with technology similar to the MB-5 Compound Bow, but also has an additional carriage container to fire multiple blots in rapid succession.

M-990 Plasma Cannon

The M-990 Plasma Cannon is a powerful weapon created as a handheld version of a PPC. With its destructive capability to burn through armor and dispersed kinetic barriers, the M-990 Plasma Cannon is a destructive device that is extremely valuable to the military and consider to be one of the most powerful available. However, like every weapon, it does have some limitations, and some of them are deal barkers for wide use. One such limitation is the lack of guided missile ammunition. Meaning it can only be fired in a single direction, making it difficult to hit fast maneuvering targets that even the M-920 Cannon could hit. It also outputs a tremendous amount of energy to the point that when it fires it will burn through the dilithium crystal is used for power and some of the cannon itself. To the point, it will generally have a onetime use before it must be replaced with a new cannon, instead of a new round like other heavy weapons.

Particle Plasma Weapons

Before the discovery of dilithium crystals, the use of plasma weapons in outer space or in long-range combat was considered impractical. Plasma-based energy weapons had limited range as the plasma energy dispersed quickly, especially in the cold vacuum of space. Combined with the fact that plasma weapons are often energy consuming and not very accurate, it was just better to use kinetic-based weapons overall. That was until it was discovered that dilithium crystals could be used as a focal point for any kind of energy. Now plasma-based weaponry was possible when combined with particle energy created by dilithium crystals, resulting in particle plasma-based weapons that could be used for long-range and outer space combat.

Partial plasma weapons for ships fall into two categories, plasma lasers and partial-plasma cannons (PPCs). Plasma lasers are used as rapid-fire weapons for close range combat. For with its higher fire faster than any known laser or kinetic weapon, plasma lasers are the primary weapon used to take down enemy fighters, act as a point defense system, and barrage weapons on enemy’s shields at point blank range. Meanwhile, PPCs are used in mid to long-range combat and depending on the amount of power a ship can put into the weapon to serve to take down enemy warships. They function as a turret or main cannon similar to mass effect main cannon and can severely drain a ship’s kinetic barriers to cut a ship in two with one shot.

However, despite the destructive power of plasma base weapons, they will not replace kinetic weapons anytime soon. One reason is related to the range of a kinetic base weapon and relatively much lower energy needed to fire. A kinetic weapon could strike a target ship three to five times further away than any PPC with precise accuracy and with far less energy. Handheld plasma weapons can only be used for a few shots before they need to be recharged, and a prolonged firefight around an hour of using just PPCs, and plasma lasers could severely drain a vehicle/ship’s energy supply. To even think of being in a firefight beyond an hour with all systems at full power would require an energy transfer from anything and everything in a ship, including kinetic barriers, engines and even life support. Kinetic weapons require very little energy to fire and have the almost unlimited ammunition so long as large slabs of metal were available. Kinetic weapons could also be used to supplement plasma weapons as they could fire at twenty times faster than PPCs and are more powerful then plasma lasers per round. Therefore, all advanced military organizations’ vehicles to a level have a plasma and kinetic-based weaponry.

Phentis Heavy Pistol

Named after a turian spirit, the Phentis is a Turian high caliber pistol engineered to provide the best possible balance between accuracy and firepower in an automatic weapon. Each shot tempered by kickback dampeners dispersed through the pistols gives a more accurate, steady shot compare to other pistols. Combined with its lightweight and precession, makes it the go-to weapon for the Turian infantry.

Thermal Clips

While weapons technically have practically unlimited ammo, they are still limited by the number of thermal clips. Thermal clips are coolants that keep a weapon cool under a barrage of continuous firing that would overheat a gun. If fired in bursts, most guns can act as though they have unlimited ammo if the weapons stayed under acceptable temperatures. However, under continuous fire or weapons that pack a higher yield punch, such as the M-98 Widow or M-300 Claymore, the thermal clip can overload, and the weapon overheats to the point it will not fire. In those situations, the clip is ejected, and it is replaced with a new clip for the weapons continued use.

Weapons

This is a complete list of weapons used and with what organization/race they are associated. That does not mean others cannot own them, the list covers what a particular military force often uses even if only by their elite/special forces (example N1 to N7). The ‘all’ will list all weapons owned by all forces, but rare/military means only elite mercenaries or military forces use them regularly. For example, human soldiers use the M-95 Mattock and M-15 Vindicator depending on the soldiers along with some of their allied race’s weapons. Unique means it can be used by any, but only rare individuals will carry them.

Weapons: Assault Rifles

All: M-8 Avenger, M-15 Vindicator (rare/military), Cyclone (rare/military)

Unique Owners: M-7 Lancer, M-78 Revenant

Cerberus: M-96 Mattock, Cerberus Harrier

Citadel Council: M-37 Falcon, M-55 Argus

-Asari Republic: Deacon

-Turian Hierarchy: Phaeston

Batarian Hegemony: Kishock Harpoon Gun (elite)

Collectors: Collector Rifle

Confederation Alliance of Worlds: M-37 Falcon, M-55 Argus, N7 Typhoon (elite), N7 Valkyrie (elite)

-Geth Collective: Geth Pulse Rifle

-Human System Alliance: M-96 Mattock, M-99 Saber

-Krogan Clan Alliance: Striker Assault Rifle (elite)

-Quarian Conclave: Adas Anti-Synthetic Rifle (elite)

Criminals Organizations: Chakram Launcher (rare/military)

Prothean: Particle Rifle

Weapons: Heavy Pistols

All: M-3 Predator, and M-6 Carnifex (rare/military)

Unique Owners: M-11 Suppressor

Cerberus: M-358 Talon

Citadel Council: M-77 Paladin

-Asari Republic: Acolyte

-Turian Hierarchy: Phentis

-Salarian Union: Scorpion (elite)

Confederation Alliance of Worlds: N7 Eagle (elite), M-77 Paladin

-Human System Alliance: M-3 Phalanx

-Krogan Clan Alliance: Executioner Pistol

-Quarian Conclave: Arc Pistol

Weapons: Shotguns

All: M-25 Katana, M-27 Scimitar (rare/military)

Unique Owners: M-11 Wraith, M-300 Claymore

Batarian Hegemony: At-12 Raider (elite), Graal Spike Thrower

Cerberus: M-22 Eviscerator

Citadel Council:

-Asari Republic: Disciple

-Salarian Union: Venom Shotgun (elite)

Confederation Alliance of Worlds: N7 Crusader (elite), N7 Piranha (elite)

-Geth Collective: Geth Plasma Shotgun

-Human System Alliance: M-22 Eviscerator

-Krogan Clan Alliance: Graal Spike Thrower, Ruzao

-Quarian Conclave: Reegar Combine

Weapons: Sniper Rifles

All: M-92 Mantis, M-20 Incisor (rare/military), M-97 Viper (rare/military)

Unique Owners: M-98 Widow

Cerberus: M-13 Raptor, Black Widow

Citadel Council:

-Asari Republic: Blue Widow

-Salarian Union: M-90 Indra, White Scorpion Snipe Rifle (elite)

-Turian Hierarchy: Krysae Sniper Rifle (elite)

Collectors: Collector Sniper Rifle

Confederation Alliance of Worlds: N7 Valiant (elite)

-Geth Collective: Javelin

-Human System Alliance: Black Widow

Weapons: Submachine guns

All: M-4 Shuriken, M-9 Tempest (rare/military)

Cerberus: M-25 Hornet

Citadel Council:

-Asari Republic: Bishop

Collectors: Collector SMG

Confederation Alliance of Worlds: N7 Hurricane (elite)

-Geth Collective: Geth Plasma SMG

-Human System Alliance: M-12 Locust

-Krogan Clan Alliance: Blood Pack Punisher

Weapons: Heavy Weapons

All:M-100 Grenade Launcher (rare /military), ML-77 Missile Launcher (rare/military), M-451 Firestorm (rare/military), M-622 Avalanche (elite), M-920 Cain (elite/single), Reaper Blackstar (elite/single)

Cerberus: Arc Projector (elite)

Collector: Collector Particle Beam (elite)

Confederation Alliance of Worlds: M-560 Hydra (elite), M-597 Landon (elite), M-990 Plasma Cannon (elite/single)

-Geth Collective: Geth Spit Fire (Geth Primes)

Weapons Mods

All weapons can be upgraded by either the purchase or the discovery of new mods that can increase its effectiveness. Most military forces including the Confederation forces buy them in bulk for their elite forces, or highly skilled individuals. Standard upgrades are assumed to come equipped with their weapons while specialize are attached.

Assault rifle standard mods: bayonet, extended barrel, piercing mod, scope, and thermal clip capacity upgrade

Assault rifle special mods: heat sink upgrade (thermal clip capacity upgrade), heavy barrel (extended barrel with +25% weight), high-velocity barrel (extended barrel with +25% weight), omni-blade (bayonet with +25% weight), stability damper (scope), thermal scope (scope with +25% weight), and ultralight material (piercing mod or/and scope with -25% to -50% weight)

Heavy pistol and submachine gun standard mods: extended barrel, melee stunner, piercing mod, stability damper, and thermal clip capacity upgrade

Heavy pistol and submachine gun special mods: heat sink (thermal clip capacity upgrade), heavy barrel (extended barrel with +25% weight), high-velocity barrel (extended barrel with +25% weight), power magnifier (stability damper), scope (stability damper), and ultralight material (piercing mod or/and stability with -25% to -50% weight)

Shotgun standard mods: bayonet, extended barrel, shredder mod, smart choke, stability damper, and thermal clip capacity upgrade

Shotgun special mods: heat sink upgrade (thermal clip capacity upgrade), heavy barrel (extended barrel with +25% weight), high-velocity barrel (extended barrel with +25% weight), omni-blade (bayonet with +25% weight), spare thermal clips (smart choke), and ultralight material (shredder mod or/and stability with -25% to -50% weight)

Sniper rifle standard mods: extended barrel, piercing mod, enhance scope, stability damper, and thermal clip capacity upgrade

Sniper rifle special mods: heat sink upgrade (thermal clip capacity upgrade), heavy barrel (extended barrel with +25% weight), high-velocity barrel (extended barrel with +25% weight), thermal scope (scope with +25% weight), and ultralight material (piercing mod or/and stability with -25% to -50% weight)

White Scorpion Sniper Rifle

Based on the Scorpion pistol, the White Scorpion is a deadly sniper rifle used by STG to take down a whole squad from afar. Like the scorpion pistol, it fires low-velocity, squashed head projectiles that turn into a proximity mine thanks to the projectiles’ adhesive proprieties and high explosive filter. Combined with a rapid-fire action and precision accuracy, a small squad could eliminate a whole army within minutes. However, its rapid-fire capability is also a weakness when combine with it is limited ammunition. The user can run through an entire clip trying to hit a fast-moving target. Especially since a scorpion bullet is considerably slower than a regular sniper rifle. It is highly recommended that only elite marksman should use this sniper rifle in combat.


	12. SPOILER

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPOILER Don’t Read Past This Line Unless You’re Curious about the Reapers’ Purpose
> 
> Beta Reader: Albert

**Codex Cerberus** **and Other Criminal Organizations**

Cerberus Leadership

At the head of the insidious organization is its founder, the Illusive Man. A man set to expand and increase human interest and initially was the sole leader of the terrorist organization. However, as the organization spread, he began to concern himself more with the science division while leaving his trusted lieutenants to take care of the military and espionage division. A decision that proved to be a mistake as a power struggle began to take form between the various divisions.

The science division is led by the Illusive Man and his lieutenant and rumored lover, a quarian named Doctor Daro’Xen vas Cerberus. The group focused on reverse engineering recovered technology and the development of new technology. The Science division is the most heavily funded thanks to the Illusive Man, and it is the most loyal to his cause. He was also the only leader that is known to recruit both human and non-human on a permanent base. And known to be a cold, calculating man willing to take any risk that would benefit humanity and in extension, the Confederation. Something his rival cannot say.

The head of the military division is General Iron Guts and has the most personal of the three division. He also has a sizable group of scientists looking for methods to make his soldiers stronger and to create unlimited, expendable shock troops for his forces to use. He is also flagged as the most ruthless of the group and is known to do experiments that even the Illusive Man does not condone. Like the fact he had authorized his scientists to kidnap children to experiment on instead of using volunteers or criminals. Various intelligence agencies suggest he is the most likely culprit responsible for most of the assassinations and sabotages in Confederation space. He is also at odds with the Illusive Man, and they are locked in a power struggle as Iron Guts tries to become the new head of Cerberus.

The finale Cerberus leader id head of the espionage division the smallest unit within the organization is Mistress K. Her small is responsible for stealing numerous alien technologies and discoveries that would benefit humanity and are subsequently transferred them to the Illusive Man and General Iron Guts. Her division has also been known to handle assassination and the sabotage of anti-human and anti-Confederation organization from time to time. However, recently the division has split into two factions. One is loyal to the Illusive Man under Mistress K, and the other is loyal to General Iron Guts, led by an agent named Kai Lang.

If two divisions split or if Iron Guts become the de facto ruler of Cerberus could spell trouble for everyone in the galaxy as no one could keep this future dictator in check without total war.

Iron Guts

While little is known about the Illusive Man’s origins, the same cannot be said for Jonathan Salisbury, aka General Iron Guts. Born on Earth in 2132, he was a member of a simple farmer’s family in Louisiana state in the United North American States. Jonathan was going to be a farmer as well until the Darkspawn War began. Feeling it was his patriotic duty; he lied about his age and enlisted at the age of sixteen. Once in the army, he quickly rose through the ranks from corporal to Lieutenant for his skill in leadership that Earth’s military desperately needed in their war. However, despite his skill, Lieutenant would be the highest rank he would ever achieve.

As the Human System Alliance went to form alliances with various species for help, Jonathan protested against these alliances. He believed that humanity should stand on their own instead of depending on aliens for help to retake their homeworld. A view that was not shared by the general public or his superior officers as aliens’ aid helped saved lives. When the war ended, and the Confederation Alliance of Worlds was being formed, he was told by his superior officers that they planned to make the Confederation into one military force between the four species and that he had two choices. He could either end his anti-alien views or resign. He chose to resign and dropped off the grid before taking up the persona ‘General Iron Guts’ within the shadowing organization known as Cerberus.

After joining Cerberus, information on General Iron Guts became clouded in mystery within the shadowy organization, which is either antidotal or nonexistent. However, what is known is that he is considered to be ruthless in the pursuit of his two primary goals. One is that he plans to build a small army within Cerberus that could match firepower with Confederation and Council forces. The second is his focus on genetic engineering to enhance humans and make the first meta-humans. He had become a political rival to the Illusive Man, as the General is particularly vocal about his disgust with the Illusive Man for recruiting non-humans within the organization.

Cerberus Forces

Dragoon: In the Cerberus’s forces, dragoons are heavily armored biotics with special biotic whips that can create a shockwave that kills not only the target but also those around their target. Dragoons combine the ability to pull their enemies in close and an enhanced biotic kick make soldiers weary of getting close. Dragoons are created through the heavy exposure of elemental zero, and a genetic procedure developed in a lab on Nepheron. It is unsure how many dragoons there actually are, and how many Cerberus can produce since the first one was created in 2183. Dragoons carry an M-25 Talon and wear heavy armor.

Knight: In the Cerberus’s forces, knights are heavily armored mages that can create a shield containing entropy properties that can leach any form of energy to sustain the shield, including a soldier’s life energy, even if they are organic or synthetic targets. Combined with the magnetic ability to bring enemies in close and the use of an acidic plant whip against a single target make them a deadly foe for any soldier to face. Knights are created through heavy exposure to dilithium crystals and a genetic procedure developed in a lab on Nepheron. It is unsure how many knights there are, and how many Cerberus can produce since the first one was created in 2183. Knights also carry an M-25 Talon and wear heavy armor.

Phantom: Using salvaged Reaper technology, phantoms are Reaper implanted biotics trained in melee combat. They are difficult for any soldier to beat, as each phantom has the skill set of a master swordsman with enhancing agility and a special monomolecular diamond katana that cut through even Solaris Armor. Phantoms also used biotic powers to knock their foes off their feet, slam a target to another, or to fire on their foes with warp ammo from a blaster attached to their palms. A blaster that is very effective at killing a target, even from a distance.

Phantoms are also able to use their biotic abilities to increase their speed as they run across the battlefield. They can fly/glide up or down on platforms using their biotic ability, and they can cloak to hide from enemy fire or to perform sneak attacks. When attacked at long range, phantoms use agility to avoid shots, and they are able to create a biotic barrier that can protect not only the phantom but also several Cerberus soldiers at the same time against any hand help weapons less powerful than an M-560 Hydra missile launcher. However, they can only hold the barrier for a limited time before they have to drop their shields. Phantoms wear light armor as tough as heavy armor (strong health), and they use strong kinetic barriers.

Witch: Using salvaged Reaper technology, witches are Reaper implanted mages trained in melee combat and are able to glide across the battlefield at incredible speeds using their wind and telekinesis ability. Along with their monomolecular diamond bladed staff, they can gut their foes or hit them with a force that can pulverize any known organic/synthetic bone structure. Witches also use their primal mage powers to overheat enemy weapons, kinetic barriers and exposed skin, while using telekinesis power to knock enemies off their feet.

Witches are also able to use their mage abilities to increase their speeds. They can briefly fly over hurdles and onto platforms with their powers, and use a mirage power to multiply to make it harder to hit. When attacked in the open or surrounded by enemy forces, witches can create a special barrier made from all primal energy and spiritual attacks that can harm friend and foe, and giving limited protection against grenades, heavy weapons, and grenades launches. Witches wear light armor as tough as heavy armor (strong health), and they have strong kinetic barriers.

**Codex Governments and Galactic Policies**

Andromeda Initiative

Founded in 2178, the Andromeda Initiative was originally a multi-species exploration and colonization effort to Andromeda Galaxy. However, after the confirmation of the Reapers return, several different governments and organizations began to repurpose the project as a way to save the civilization of the Milky Way Galaxy within 4 Arks that can each hold 30,000 people not including AIs, 1 heavy cruiser, 2 cruisers, 2 heavy frigates and 4 frigates, along with various support crafts. All centralized around the Nexus (mini-citadel) that can hold 60,000 people, not including AIs, 2 heavy cruisers, 4 cruisers, 4 heavy frigates, 8 frigates, and 4 stealth frigates. Current species on the arcs are asari, drell, elcor, geth, hanar, humans, krogans, quarians, salarians, turians and volus. With the geth, humans, quarians, and krogans are primarily on Ark Hyperion, asari and elcor are primarily on Ark Leusian, turians and volus are primarily on Ark Natanus, and the drell, hanar, and salarian are primarily on Ark Paarchero, and with reperceives of each of the species are on the Nexus.

Hunter Fleet

During the darkspawn invasion on Terra, several influential members in Citadel Space began arguing against the Council’s refusal to help the humans retake Terra. One of the loudest was an Asari Matriarch name Zeana Calibri who feared what would happen if the darkspawn were left unchecked. She was so sure of the darkspawn’s evil intent that Zeana eventually convinced the Council to send a spy unit to determine the darkspawns threat level. The unit included Zeana’s oldest daughter Tallo. Unfortunately, Tallo was turned into a broodmother during the mission and was later killed on Terra. Out of grief or righteous indignation, Zeana Calibri built a fleet filled with personnel that was fearful of the darkspawn, including her youngest daughter, Alessa. The fleet’s purpose was to hunt the darkspawn down and wipe them from the galaxy before they could harm anyone else.

However, her efforts were met with limited support that dwindled even further until as darkspawn faded to obscurity to their disappearance. That was until the darkspawn incursion during the Galactic Darkspawn War. After a larger number of colonies were attacked, including an Asari colony near the Citadel, funding increased and their numbers swelled from a small fleet of various classes lead by a few heavy cruisers, to a large military fleet four times its original size lead by a dreadnaught. Calibri’s private also army swelled in numbers of people wishing to see the darkspawn die once and for all, no matter the cost. Her current fleet number is estimated to be around six hundred and fifty warships.

Hunter Fleet current compliment: 1 Dreadnought, 8 Heavy Cruisers, 52 Cruisers, 133 Heavy Frigates, 178 Frigates, and 296 Corvettes

**Codex Ships and Vehicles**

Maelstrom Class Dreadnaught

Maelstrom class dreadnaught is the longest and most powerful warship in Confederation and Citadel space. Built in secret, the CSS Excalibur and CSS Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (Grass Cutter) was a new supper dreadnaught meant to be introduced years ago by the Confederation but was delayed due to its innovative design to make the ship work.

While large ships were not impossible with Quarian Live Ships being over 2 kilometers long, ships design as powerful warship that size was difficult with standard ship configuration. That was fixed by using six large anti-matter reactors spread out along the ship and two dreadnaught’s size Tantalus Drive Cores. Drive Cores that had to be in coherence to work, or it would tear the ship apart. However, even with the Drive Cores working incoherence, the design had put an unreasonable amount of stress on the ship that was compounded when entering or leaving FTL speeds. To have the ship on patrol like any standard dreadnaught would require the ship to be put into dry dock every three months for maintenance, instead of every year for the other classes. It would also require the resources and manpower that could maintain two dreadnaughts. Meaning that per year, it would cost the same amount of resources to maintain eight dreadnaughts.

Combined with the cost to even build one Maelstrom class Dreadnaught insured the ships were drummed out of service during development and put into the R&D to test new technology using it six generators to help compare new weapon upgrades to current weapons. For years, the two ships were used as test beds until after the Battle of the Citadel and the second confrontation with Sovereign. Realizing the Confederation needed ships that could match firepower with the Reapers in the possibly near future, Grand Admiral Hackett ordered the two ships to be refurbished and commissioned as warships. One that would serve as his flagship while the second is permanently station at Arterius Station. This left many government powers in awe of the 2.4km ships, as well as just as many engineers cursing the very same ships despite only needed maintenance every year due to being dry dock within a system.

The vessel themselves are one of the most advanced ships in the galaxy. With multiple power generators and two drive cores allows the ship to be equipped with four shield generators, eight main PPC cannons, and two 1.8km mass accelerators guns. This made it a powerhouse compare to a standard ship that had one to two shield generators, two to four main PPC cannons and a single mass accelerator gun of various length, usually 800m for dreadnaughts. This allows the ship to not only survive against a Reaper Capital Ship but also gut one in a single shot. Combined with the latest technology added to the design makes it the most powerful ship in the Galaxy while giving off a bitter taste to the Council races as they went to work to build their own version. It is estimated that it will take two more years (2187) before the Council builds their own version at the same time the third Maelstrom class dreadnaught, the CSS Korbal would be complete. Length is 2.4km, fighter complement is 144 and crew complement is 7,900.

Appearance: It is space like a thin triangle ship shaped like a sheathed gladius’s blade (Roman sword) with a thick tear oval shape body at the back of the ship. It also has folded blade winds to the size, and oval shape engines in the back.

Modified Spirit Class Heavy Frigate

After the battle of the Citadel, new technology began to circulate across the galaxy, and the first to get these upgrades are the Spirit class heavy frigate. Mainly focusing on improving the engines, significantly increasing the speed and maneuverability while giving a slight increase in armor and weapons thanks to improved Solaris armor and Thanix cannon. However, the upgrades are nothing compared to the upgrades Cerberus had applied to the ships.

On top of the Confederation upgrades that Cerberus was able to get through spies and companies in the Illusive Man pockets, they added a few more to make the ship the most dangerous ship in the galaxy. As the upgrades were focused on weapons, but also several new technologies that Cerberus developed. That included subspace communication, top of the line research/manufacturing lab, hybrid HMKW and Thanix Mark-II cannon, dual dilithium reactor, and room for other modification like Cerberus transporters, new armor, additional kinetic barriers, and possible weapon modification.

**Codex Technology**

Dual Dilithium Reactor

The Dual Dilithium Reactor is a newly developed reactor designed by Cerberus to act as a mini Anti-Matter reactor that can be converted to a regular Dilithium Reactor when entering a planet’s atmosphere or a heavily populated space station for safety reason. The reactor works as a converter, using the dilithium crystal to drain the anti-matter energy into non-volatile forms when entering a planet’s atmosphere. From there, energy is stored for years and used to give the ship an edge while still having enough energy to create anti-matter when it leaves a planet. Making it a safe craft, though the cost of the reactor is twice that of a single dreadnaught anti-matter generator and at the forth of the power omitted.

Subspace Communication

When it comes to long-range communication by various factions are broken down into two forms of communication. One more commonly used EW comm buoys that have limited by range and time delays depending on comm buoys distance but unlimited data can be sent. While the other was the QEC (Quantum Entanglement Communication) developed by the Salarians and used on what is considered priority channels due to the limited amount of data that could be traveled instantly. With these limitations in mind, the Confederation heavily funded companies to develop improved QEC that would be a feasible replacement to comm buoys. Unfortunately or fortunately, one of the companies was a shell company for Cerberus who used those funds and gathered research from both the Confederation and their own archives to develop the first long-range subspace communication.

Subspace Communication used the quantum physics of the Fade to be piggyback and allow instant communication within a light year with whatever bandwidth is required before it’s disrupted by the Fade. Combined with modified buoys, allow them to be more spread out for communication. This, in turn, makes them ideal for interstellar communication though it is still can be interfered or disrupted through jamming technology or the destruction of all buoys within a light year. Confederation plan to use QEC for more secure, direct communication while military lines while switching to Subspace Communication after modifying their own to prevent Cerberus from listening in since they are not as secure as QEC. Civilians will still be using regular space buoys at the time.

Transporter

When first discovered that demons could ‘teleport’ through dimension and long distances, an effort by several companies and organization were made to copy the procedure with limited success due to limited demonic knowledge. To date, only one group had successfully made a transporter, Cerberus. Cerberus transporters work as energy compressors were an organic or inorganic form is mater is safely compressed to travel through a dimension rift between the Fade and Prime dimension, unharmed if given a proper amount of time and power.

A derivative that takes anything passed the distance of ten light second or a regular second would mean a chance of molecular deformation. Combined with the power required to transport even a small team would need a dreadnaught power requirements to do it multiple times. A frigate can only do it once without transferring energy from engines, weapons, and shields. The Confederation received their transporters through Jane Sheppard, but the Confederation and Council focused on making counters against transporter technology using modified energy fields and barriers. This means that only a few Confederation ships have the transporters while all three factions of Cerberus seems to have them everywhere.

**Codex Weapons and Equipment**

Magnetohydrodynamic Kinetic Weapons

Magnetohydrodynamic kinetic weapons (MHKW) are unique weapons that are introduced to the galactic market after the attack Sovereign. Known as the alternative to PPCs. MHKWs are powerful cannons that can tear ships apart using ejects a stream of molten metal at a fraction of the speed of light. Able to hit targets at a distance with the same destructive capability of a PPC at close range, they are a good alternative. However, most races prefer PPCs or regular kinetic weapons, as they are more efficient. While PPCs have energy problems, current MHKWs are able to go through it entire ammunition of a dreadnaught within minutes. Only very large space stations could use them efficiently like Arterius and the Citadel, but they are limited in number.

This is the primary-secondary weapon for the Reapers that seemed to be more efficient as they can fire them for hours. It is unsure how they are able to continually fire, though it speculated that the AIs can be more precise in the amount of fire, unlike organics. The second is that the weapon fires part metal and plasma so hot it is beyond current means to copy as a way to use less ammunition for more punch.

There is also a rumor that there is an experiment by Cerberus to combine the MHKWs with the new Mark-II Thanix Cannons to give an even bigger punch.

**Codex Reaper**

Reaper Evaluation

This is a reaper evaluation to determine whether the species is good enough for their ascension project, to be turned into a Reaper Capital Ship, the servant project (into a new species of collectors) or just to be turned into a Destroyer Class Ship if nonviable for ascension project and not suggested for servant project.

(X) Asari:

Strengths: 100% biotic potential, good combat ability, good genetic diversity, good genetic malleability, good multitasking ability, good technical ability, above average intelligence, long lifespan, above average reproduction rate, physically flexible, telepathically touch base, ability to reproduce with any species, has diplomatic, leadership and manipulative mindset

Weaknesses: no mage potential, need to reproduce with other species to prevent genetic diseases

Evaluation: not viable for ascension project due to genetic defects, but viable for servant project due to genetic defects and telepathic ability

(X) Salarian:

Strengths: good combat ability, good mental adaptability, impressive multitasking ability, impressive technical ability, extremely high intelligence, high reproduction rate, physically fast and flexible, has a preemptive strike, problem solver and scientific mindset

Weaknesses: weak biotic potential, weak genetic diversity, weak genetic malleability, weak mage potential, short lifespan, physically weak

Evaluation: nonviable for ascension project due to genetic weakness

(X) Volus:

Strengths: good biotic potential, good mage potential, good technical ability, has a calculating and manipulative mindset

Weaknesses: weak physical adaptability, weak combat ability, physically weak and vulnerable, cannot survive most organic environments, depend on others for survival

Evaluation: nonviable for ascension project due to being weak

(X) Batarians:

Strengths: good physical adaptability, good biotic potential, good combat ability, good genetic malleability, good mage potential, good technical ability, has a dominant and sadistic mindset

Weaknesses: weak mental adaptability, below average intelligence

Evaluation: nonviable for ascension project due to lower intelligence

(X) Elcor:

Strengths: good combat ability, good mage potential, good technical ability, above average lifespan, physically strong and tough

Weaknesses: weak adaptability, weak biotic potential, weak genetic diversity, weak genetic malleability, low reproduction rate, depends on other species for protection in space

Evaluation: nonviable for ascension project due to genetic and adaptability weakness

(X) Hanar:

Strengths: good biotic potential, good genetic diversity, impressive genetic malleability, impressive multitasking ability, good technical ability, high intelligence, neural toxic stingers, has a diplomatic mindset

Weaknesses: no mage potential, physically weak on land, wasted genetic potential due to prothean forced evolution

Evaluation: nonviable for ascension project due to prothean interference

(X) Quarian:

Strengths: good combat ability, good multitasking ability, impressive technical ability, above average intelligence, above average reproduction rates, physically flexible and though, unique plant to animal biology, has an engineer and scavenger mindset

Weaknesses: weak biotic potential, weak mage potential, weak immunity due to unique biology

Evaluation: nonviable for ascension project due weaken immunity suggest genetic weakness

(X) Rachni:

Strengths: impressive adaptability, impressive biotic potential, good combat ability, impressive mage potential, impressive technical ability, above average cellular regeneration, high group intelligence, extremely high reproduction rate, telepathic ability by pheromones and genetic quantum entanglement, able to survive on worlds hostile to organics, hive mind

Weaknesses: weak multitasking ability, low lifespan outside of rachni queen, low individual intelligence, easily suggestible, small population

Evaluation: nonviable for ascension project due to low population, viable for servant project due to being easily suggestible

(X) Krogan:

Strengths: impressive adaptability, good biotic potential, impressive combat ability, good genetic diversity, good genetic malleability, good technical ability, high cellular regeneration, long lifespan, extremely high reproduction rate, physically strong and tough, redundant organs and nerve clusters, able to survive on several worlds hostile to most organics, has a warrior mentality

Weaknesses: no mage potential, weak multitasking ability, force ascension by salarians, overwhelming primitive instincts, sterilized by Genophage

Evaluation: nonviable for ascension due to being sterilized by the Genophage

(X) Turian:

Strengths: impressive combat ability, impressive mage potential, good technical ability, above average intelligence, above average reproduction rate, physically thought and malleable, skin resilient to radiation, has a discipline and warrior mindset

Weaknesses: weak biotic potential, weak genetic malleability, genetically primitive

Evaluation: nonviable for ascension project due to being genetically primitive

(X) Drell:

Strengths: impressive biotic potential, impressive combat ability, good genetic diversity, good genetic malleability, good technical ability, camouflage ability, eidetic memory

Weaknesses: weak physical adaptability, weak mage potential, below average lifespan, below average reproduction rate, small population

Evaluation: nonviable for ascension project due to insufficient population

(X) Geth: primitive AIs, use only for cannon fodder to be disposed of as a material for reaper constructs

(X) Vorcha:

Strengths: impressive adaptability, good combat potential, impressive genetic diversity, impressive genetic malleability, good technical ability, impressive cellular regeneration, impressive reproduction rate, physically strong, able to survive and adapt on several worlds hostile to most organics, can change genetically to match the environment

Weakness: weak biotic potential, weak mage potential, low lifespan, low intelligence, has a hostile and self-destructive mindset

Evaluation: nonviable due to low intelligence

(X) Yahg:

Strengths: good adaptability, good biotic potential, impressive combat ability, good genetic diversity, impressive genetic malleability, good mage potential, impressive technical ability, high intelligence, long lifespan, above average reproduction rate, physically strong, tough and fast, has a cunning and predator mindset

Weaknesses: very arrogant, has not reached space yet

Evaluation: viable for ascension project near the end of the cycle when the population is larger

(X) Human:

Strengths: impressive adaptability, impressive biotic potential, impressive combat ability, impressive genetic diversity, impressive genetic malleability, impressive mage potential, good multitasking ability, impressive technical ability, above average intelligence, above average reproduction rate, physically well rounded, has a curious and individualistic mindset

Weaknesses: a chaotic and stubborn race, possibly too diverse, has a stubborn mindset

Evaluation: viable for ascension project

(X) Elf:

Strengths: impressive adaptability, impressive biotic potential, impressive combat ability, impressive genetic diversity, impressive genetic malleability, impressive mage potential, good multitasking ability, impressive technical ability, above average intelligence, above average lifespan, above average reproduction rate, physically fast, has a sniper mindset

Weaknesses: physically frail, depend on human DNA to strengthen the immune system, small population

Evaluation: viable for ascension project with humans

(X) Qunari:

Strengths: good physical adaptability, good biotic potential, impressive combat ability, good mage potential, impressive technical ability, above average cellular regeneration, above average intelligence, above average reproduction rate, physically strong and though, has a disciplined and warrior mindset

Weaknesses: weak mental adaptability, weak genetic diversity, weak genetic malleability, weak multitasking ability, genetically primitive

Evaluation: nonviable for ascension project due to being too primitive

(X) Confederation AIs: advance AIs that if dissected can help improve runtime on destroyer, harvester and troop transport

(X) Fade Spirits and Demons: spirit-like beings demand study and possible extermination if possible.

(X) Raloi: insufficient data

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Evaluation:

(X) Kirlk: insufficient data

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Evaluation:

(X) Cycle Technology: innovative in several forms, especially in medical and cyber warfare that may prove useful to husk, servants and computer warfare. It is also noted that technology is primarily focused on efficiency over power.

(X) Council Technology: biotic and cyber warfare may prove worthwhile to study. All other forms of technology are not noteworthy outside of their own version of Confederation technology.

(X) Confederation Technology: technology using dilithium crystals are priority technology to capture and study due to new forms of weapons and power sources. Another technology useful to study is medi-gel for Reaper troops.

Reapers

The Reapers themselves are an enigma. When first described by both Sheppards, most believed them to be a single warship with hundreds of thousands of programs work together as a single identity, similar to a nation. However, the Reapers have proven to be much larger and more complex than believed. It is perhaps more accurate to say a Reaper is a nation of city-state ships, each working together as one conscientiousness even if they are hundreds of thousands of light years apart. Using their own indoctrination field on a subspace/quantum entanglement level keep their conscious connected as they follow a common goal that all Reapers share, the eradication of all advance civilization.

As to how the Reaper is born, the process is relatively unknown outside of the construction of its larval form that leads to a popular theory on how they are conceived. The body of a Reaper is developed from the genetic material of a species broken down to the atomic level, which is then formed into a Reaper larva that takes their shape from the harvested species(s) before it is repurposed into the base shape of a Reaper. The asari have proven genetic material has its own chemistry, as well the memories of its victims along with knowledge and skills. So it’s possible a Reaper’s mind develops from the genetic material collected during harvest and then connected by the Reaper’s Indoctrination Field to the synapses of a young Reapers nearby to give it a single mind per cycle. It is also believed that the more minds connected to the individual Reaper, the more powerful the Reaper mentally becomes, or at least to a certain point, in theory. Though all that is said and done, it really does not matter as much as the startling implication for their enemies.

Due to their mental connection, it means that to kill even one the Reaper requires the destruction of a handful of Reaper Capital ships and the untold number of Reaper Destroyers. That is assuming that if someone manages to destroy all the Reaper’s bodies, it dies. Some believed they are beings of pure energy that could exist without a body. On logistic concerns, it means the Reapers can communicate instantly with the entire fleet, without lag time or interference between itself, and others. Therefore, if one Reaper discovers something, they all know it. If one is destroyed, all the Reapers know where it happened, and they can send a fleet to exact revenge. It also means that they know about dilithium crystals and they can harvest their own if the situation presents itself.

Leviathan and Reaper History

In the beginning, the Leviathans lived on an oceanic world with another sentient species that become its thrall, not unlike a high-class serf. With one species under its control, the Leviathans allowed their serfs to live in relative peace and prosper in exchange for a tribute of food and resources. Eventually, the Leviathans developed mass effect FTL through their thrall and encountered many other species that they influenced and controlled as they had with their original thralls. The ‘lesser’ species were given direction, and relative peace as the Leviathans’ revealed in their control. The Leviathans ability to control every species they encountered so easily give birth to a dream of being able to influence the entire galaxy, where nothing was beyond their reach. To achieve their dream, they created the mass relays and the Citadel/control relay for fast travel across the galaxy for their thralls to travel to new worlds while the Leviathans used the relays’ FTL properties to boost their organic signal across the galaxy.

To maintain, guard and build the mass relays, they developed and created the Monoliths (the Reapers body) into their own image using advanced technology and unbeknownst to their thralls, the thralls own dead. This was to ensure the Leviathans would have control over the Monoliths’ organic minds, and the tools needed to work on the Relays. Tools that spread across the galaxy as the Leviathans built a relay within every star cluster, guarded by a fleet of Monoliths. It was meant to be a symbol of the Leviathans’ glory and the height of their power, but they never realized that it was the beginning of their end.

As time passed, the galaxy was being drained of its energy and resources. Most had been used in the construction of the relays, the catalysts, and the Monoliths. The rest was used up by the various thrall races and synthetics (AIs) for their own civilization. However, the worst of it was that hundreds of star systems died out due to the dark matter pollution from their own mass effect technology, confounding the problem of dwindling resources. Soon, fighting began to break out between the various forms of life for the ever-dwindling resources as the weaker civilizations slowly starved to death. Several species became extinct, and the Leviathans did not know what to do to save their thralls.

The Leviathans were a species with infinite reach, and they could not comprehend that while the universe was infinite; its resources were not. Realizing they could not determine what the problem was, the Leviathans made the Intelligence, a VI to find the problem and to institute a solution with whatever resources they or their thralls had to preserve their thralls and their empire, forever. The Intelligence immediately went to work in studying the galaxy and concluded that the advanced sentient species and their constructions were the problems and that there was only one possible solution to solve the problem. The VI released a virus to rewrite the Monoliths and make them immune to the Leviathans for a short time while submitting its own orders. The Monoliths moved in to bring order to the chaos created by organics and their constructs by harvesting them. A harvest that the VI believed would save the species of the galaxy in the long run, as a harvest that the species would forever associate and preserve within the form of a Monolith.

The Leviathans did not know what hit them when the Monoliths attacked them and their thrall races across the galaxy with ferocity. It was a massacre as the Monoliths went unchallenged against the weakened thralls thanks to a starving galaxy. It did not help that the Monoliths had control of the primary relays through the catalyst, limiting fast travel between sectors. Therefore, the Monoliths could send entire fleets to wipe out every planet while the sentient species were trapped within their own systems.

The Leviathans were particularly hard hit as they were the first species harvested and were used to form several Monoliths that created the first true Reaper, Harbinger. Harbinger was the first Reaper to develop group consciousness and the first to developed Indoctrination. It would not be long before the technology was copied into the other Monoliths, creating several more Reapers with millennia of knowledge from the thralls used in their construction. The Reapers began to believe they were the pinnacle of all life with their primary purpose was to harvest species to bring order to chaos. A goal they easily reached as they perfected indoctrination and took control of whole systems by their very presence alone.

Only the Leviathans would survive the purge, hiding on a backwater world deep within the cold, dark oceans. The rest were extinguished by Reapers before Harbinger directed them to dark space, where they waited for the next civilization that would arise. To begin a new harvest in each cycle (10,000-100,000 years) in which a Reaper is born.

Crucible History

The Crucible was developed by the Reapers in what was the third Cycle in a row that the Reapers lost a significant number of their force. While they would still win with overwhelming force, the Reapers were not sure if they could continue the Cycles if they were faced with a dozen more brutal cycles. So the Reapers came up with a subtle idea. They would leak intelligence through an indoctrinated agent about a ‘super weapon’ that would defeat the Reapers. Learning of such a weapon, the civilizations would use the resources normally meant to fight the Reapers to build such a superweapon, the Crucible.

Once the Crucible was completed, the agent would use the device through the Catalyst and the Relays to amplify their Indoctrination Field and spread it across the galaxy. It would conquer most of them in one fell swoop, even at the cost of some of the more developed primitive species in the galaxy. Once these species were harvested, they left the Crucible designs at a hidden but discoverable location for the next Cycles. Do that if one galactic civilization were powerful enough to cause significant damage to them, they would spend their valuable resources to build the Crucible and defeat themselves. It was suggested that the Crucible was used a handful of times and it is noted that with the constant modification by several species over a given cycle that it has become a weapon that could destroy the Reapers.

Side note: The Protheans did not use the Crucible since while they had more ships and people; they were also more spread out, limiting the number to fight once isolated. Therefore, the Reapers could easily destroy them with overwhelming force and sabotage Prothean forces with their sleeper agents. The Reapers also benefit from the slow harvest as they gained more material to make more Reapers in slow extermination of a species rather than quick extermination.


End file.
